Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,
by flamingflight
Summary: Ranma decides he had enough and leaves...
1. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Prologue, Good-byes To Our Memories  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, folks, I wrote this to get my mind fresh for Forever Bound. I seem to have a writer's block of some sorts, but don't worry I'll have the next chapter out soon since I know what I want for the next *few* chapters. This was just something I concocted from my overactive mind. Hope you enjoy it as much as you enjoyed Forever Bound. Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. I added a song too.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma and Akane sat back-to-back beneath an old cherry blossom tree, distant looks on their faces. Too many things had happened maybe, too many friends lost maybe, whatever it was it kept them both silent. The Cherry Blossom tree shook for a minute before letting hundreds of tiny blossoms fall from the tree. Maybe the kami were weeping for the lost cause. Maybe. Akane looked at each Cherry Blossom fall and she saw an image of a discarded memory in each one.  
  
One Blossom,  
{"I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this..."}  
Two Blossoms,  
{"Hi, I'm Akane, want to be friends?}  
Three Blossoms,  
{"No one's going to take her from me...Akane is Mine...and she's engaged to me!"}  
Four Blossoms,  
{"Ranma! Your pervert!..."}  
Five Blossoms,  
{"...I'll send you to your coffin. Akane is my fiancee, you touach her and I'll kill you..."}  
Six Blossoms,  
{"I love you Ranma, love you lots..."}  
Seven Blossoms,  
{"...your really cute when you smile..."}  
Eight Blossoms,  
{"I'm going to help Ranma. He's...he's my fiancee."}  
Nine Blossoms,  
{"Akane, wake up, you dummy...Wake up so I can tell you *that I love you*"}  
Ten Blossoms,  
{"Everyone, I've made a decision. I'm going away to practice more styles of Martial Arts and become the best Martial Artist ever. If anyone follows me, I will be forced to...leave permanently."}  
  
Akane gave a soft, sad sigh. So many chances to tell him lost, so many chances to make him stay gone, so many chances to tell him... *How could you do this, you baka? Your just going to leave.* Akane thought. Ranma's hand somehow moved and wrapped around Akane's small delicate hand. Akane finally couldn't take it anymore and whispered, "Do you really have to go?"  
  
Ranma sighed, knowing that this was going to be difficult, "Yes." Just one word and yet both their worlds shattered at it.  
Akane's eyebrows scrunched up and she rambled, "But why? You have a home here, the fiancees arn't that bad and..." Ranma turned his eyes back towards the falling Cherry Blossoms, afraid if he saw her eyes, his determination would fall.  
"Akane, arn't you tired. Everyone keeps going in a circle day after day and it's not even that. I mean, what do see for your future after school, running a dojo? Wouldn't you get tired of just knowing that you can do better and your life can be better and yet you don't do anything? I'm just restless, Akane, I want more..." Ranma said hoping she would understand.  
  
"So, your not happy here?" Akane asked.  
Ranma was about to answer before he saw a face in the blossoms, "Sometimes... but sometimes isn't good enough to make me stay."  
Akane searched her mind for another alternative, "Can't I come with you though?"  
Ranma just shook his head, "No, Akane, this is for myself. I need to start new."  
  
Akane just nodded her head in acceptance and whispered something softly in Ranma's ear. Ranma just laughed through his heated tears and squeezed Akane's hand as he whispered, "Oh Akane! That will never happen, never, ever, ever happen!" Akane's eyes turned wistful as she said, "How do you know?"  
He just smiled knowingly as if it was the surest thing in the world, "It just can't... no chance...I know it and I know you do too." Akane slowly let his hand go and stood up as Ranma did also. They faced each other for a minute before she ran into his arms and hugged him tight as he hugged back.  
  
She smiled weakly and let him go. "Promise you'll come back," she whispered softly.  
"To you." he said giving her an encouraging smile.  
  
He turned away then and walked away from her. Best pull the bandage swift and quickly. She watched him leave and she knew his heart was breaking, hers was too. Somehow, she knew he'll be back, what she didn't know was if she would be there when he does. *Ranma come back soon, your not the only one who's tired...*  
  
So we leave this scene of pain, but do not worry for these two soulmates will cross paths again. Yet, is that a good thing though? Years down the path of life and they will both change. Gone were the happy years. One would be an unbeatable, feared, heartless, mysterious, handsome crime-boss. The other would be a manipulative, intelligent, powerful, feared, beautiful cooperate crime-boss. Both are haunted by a past and a person they can't forget. Death, pain, suffering all shaped them into the people they will be. All that is left of the once two innocent, naive friends were empty promises, an unforgotten memory, and a ground of sweet Cherry Blossoms.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: Those of you out there may notice that I tend to like to write stories of Ranma and Akane in the future. Don't ask. Some of you may be wondering, What happened to the other people? Now, I'll explain it later. Forever Bound Chapter 16 will probably be out by tomorrow. Okay, all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. 


	2. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 1, The Way That We Were  
  
Author's Notes: Here it is folks, the next chapter. Come on now, I know it's not that good, but Forever Bound will be out soon. Oh and don't kill me, throughout this whole story, nomatter who he has been with, Ranma's one and only love is Akane. Just send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma leaned back onto his leather chair, an amused expression on his face as he watched Wasuki stamp into the office. The office was filled with light and Ranma couldn't help but notice how ridiculous Wasuki looked at the moment, her face in fury.  
"Ranma!! How could you?! How could you just up and leave like that?!" Wasuki whined.  
Ranma just gave her a dry grin, "I got bored of you." Wasuki felt tears begin to sting her cheeks and she yelled, "Bored?! Bored? I loved you. I love you." Ranma gave a dry laugh amused at the notion. "Oh, come now, you knew I dated other women while I was with you, this is so much better."  
  
Wasuki burst, "You were WHAT? You jerk! You bastard! You, you...!"   
"Come on now, don't hate the player, hate the game." he said reasonably.  
Wasuki couldn't take it anymore as she grabbed a near-by ash tray and put it up.  
Ranma's grin vanished and he said coldly, "You wouldn't dare throw that, Wasuki. So leave now or do I have to get "security" on you." Wasuki gave one final yell, dropped the ash tray and stomped out of the room. She clearly knew what "security" was.  
  
As Wasuki passed the door, she pushed past a tall dark-haired man just walking in. The man turned his head and looked at Ranma as he arched an eyebrow, "Another one, Ranma. You really should stop before you get killed by either them or their families."  
Ranma just waved his hand offhandedly, "They wouldn't dare. Besides, who are you to talk, you are worst then me." Ryoga laughed as he sat down on the chair across from Ranma's.  
"Yes, but I do not break their hearts whereas you do. The ones I date know it's a game." Ryoga said. Ranma just shrugged as he examined the crystal ashtray, "They set themselves up to be hurt. It wasn't my fault I was the one to do it. Now let's stop on this and you tell me why your here."  
  
Ryoga laughed again as he pulled out an envelope, "You know me too well, Ranma. Now, their is a party to be thrown at the Gretna Green mansion."  
Ranma groaned, "Ryoga, you know, I hate those fancy dinner parties and you do too. So, the question is, why are we going?"  
Ryoga smirked, "Maybe because, rumor has it that the famous Scarlet Phoenix would be there."  
  
Ranma's interest peaked and he looked at Ryoga from the corner of his eyes, "You mean the one who's territory we want?"  
"One and only," his associate said.  
"Do you know who she is yet?" Ranma asked now fully turning at Ryoga.  
Ryoga shook his head, "Nope."   
"Too mysterious, even the name is stupid." Ranma scoffed as Ryoga laughed.  
"Your one to talk, Blue Dragon."   
"Well at least Blue Dragon is better then, Piggie," Ranma laughed. Ryoga scowled deeply, "That's Black Pigtarnius." Ranma laughed harder, "Whatever Piggie."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane's manicured red nails tapped on her wooden desk as her blood-red lipstick lips smiled dryly. The large window overlooking the city allowed sunlight to enter the large office shining onto the expensive antiques and even more priceless boss herself. Akane leaned back onto her leather chair and it stretched a little. She idly straightened out her red business Chanel suit. She seemed transfixed at the sun setting over the horizon for a minute before the buzz of her intercom interrupted her trance.  
  
"Yes?" Akane said her voice agitated from being interrupted. Her secretary, Raye Mizuno, just ignored her boss's tone. After all, you don't work for Akane Varshardi without learning to cope.  
"Phone call from Mrs. Ono on line 5," she said before hanging up.  
  
Akane smiled one of her rare genuine smiles before picking up the telephone, "Hey, Oneechan, how are you doing?"  
"Hello, Akane," Kasumi's motherly cheerful voice rang out and Akane couldn't help but give a warm smile at that.  
"How is our little starving actress doing?" Kasumi asked. Akane couldn't help but inwardly flinch but the lie came to her smoothly just as it had before, "Oh you know, living here and there. How are you and Tofu doing?"  
  
"Oh, we're fine. Asako and Mayabi though miss their Auntie and can't stop talking about her?" Kasumi jibed and Akane laughed, one of her real laughs, not the cold ones she gives to everyone else.  
"Just tell them that their Auntie 'kane will be home as soon as she can. Now Kasumi, why did you call?" Akane tried to sound serious.  
Kasumi pretended innocence which wasn't difficult, "Oh can't an older sister call her little sister without being provoked?"   
"Oh usually, unless this certain younger sister happen to know that this certain older sister doesn't call her office phone unless it's important," Akane joked. Kasumi burst out laughing, a magical sound like silver bells.  
  
"Oh, you know me too well, Akane," Kasumi laughed.  
"Oneechan, I'm appalled, you have so little faith in me," Akane feigned shock.  
Kasumi just giggled a little more before saying, "Well, I called you because I wanted you to know that Tofu and I with the kids are going to visit you. Isn't that wonderful?"  
  
Now very few things could surprise Akane...these were one of those things.  
"Akane? Akane?" Kasumi asked worriedly.  
Akane tried to sound calm, "Oh, I'm fine, Oneechan, just a little surprised. When are you going to arrive?"  
Kasumi smiled through the phone, "In three days."  
"Oh, wonderful, Oneechan," Akane said genuinely happy after she had gotten over the surprise.  
  
Before they said goodbye though Kasumi asked, "Akane, did you get any word from Nabiki?"  
Akane's eyebrows scrunched and she said, "No Oneechan. Did you expect otherwise?"  
Kasumi sighed, "Akane, she's still our sister-"  
"Yeah, sister, ditching us like that," Akane said.  
"Akane, she was sad and depressed," Kasumi said exasperatedly.  
Akane sneered, "We all were, oneechan. Didn't she think we weren't sad, but we didn't ditch our family."  
  
Kasumi sighed again, knowing convincing Akane otherwise was useless so all she said was, "Well, good-bye Akane. See you in three days."  
Akane smiled again, "Bye oneechan. Say hi to the kids and Tofu for me." So, with that the two sisters hung up.   
  
Akane was just about to relax again before the sound of her intercom interrupted her.  
"Yes, Raye?" Akane asked tiredly.  
Raye talked through the intercom, "Miss. Akane, Miss. Hundaris and Miss. Beriki is here."  
"Send them in."  
  
The crystal door opened and in walked in Ukyo in a brown suit that fitted her body nicely. Ukyo held onto a sobbing girl and led her towards Akane as both sat down on the two leather chairs across from Akane's desk.  
"What's the matter with Wasuki?" Akane asked. Ukyo gave a sigh before saying, "Her executive boyfriend or whatever broke up with her and she found out that he been cheating on her." Wasuki gave a loud sob/wail and Ukyo comforted her as Akane gave her a tissue.  
  
"Oh, come on now Wasuki, it wouldn't have worked out anyways. Him being an executive and you being...well...the other side of the city. Remember, ^No man is worth the aggravation^," Akane sang.  
Ukyo joined in, "^That's ancient history...^"  
"^Been there, done that^" Wasuki sang.  
"There now isn't that better? Men aren't worth your tears," Ukyo said.  
"Yeah, Ucchan's right," Akane piped in helpfully.  
  
Wasuki clicked her teeth and whined, "But he was supposed to be the ONE, guys. He was smart, rich, funny, cute...-"  
Akane cut in, "Their all the ONE, Suki..."  
Ukyo joined in, "...and all smart..."  
"...and all rich..."  
"...and all funny..."  
"...and all cute..."  
"Well not all of them," Wasuki said as they laughed.

"Good, now go and rest. Have the day off," Akane suggested and with a nod and gulp, Wasuki departed.  
  
"Now, go get ready for the party later, get the guys and everyone ready, I think the Blue Dragon's going to be there," Akane commanded to Ukyo.  
  
Ukyo turned to Akane and said, "Okay, spill it. What's the matter?"  
Akane sighed, "Ucchan, Oneechan's coming here in three days. I want you to get a dump apartment in the poor parts of the streets and get me some gigs at some plays, o.k? I want anyone who might give my identity be temporarily terminated."  
"Anything else?" Ukyo asked.  
"Oh yeah, and tell the guys not to be so mushy when my nieces come. I know they all love my nieces and Kasumi, but tell them we run a business here and can't afford slouchers. Cancel all my press conferences to and make sure they don't print my picture or mention my name in the papers while oneechan is here."  
  
"Gotcha, seeya at 8:00 for the party, Ne-chan. This time try not to start a fight until after we eat," Ukyo said as she left. Akane just smiled and turned her attention back towards the window onto the now dark city, after the sun has gone down.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: I would like to point out that even though Ranma has girlfriends, he only loves Akane. 


	3. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 2, The Most Dangerous Temptation  
  
Author's Notes: Not really much to say about this chapter so just send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  
  
Disclaimers: Rumiko Takahashi owns Ranma 1/2. Queen of the Night belongs to Whitney Houston.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane and Ukyo walked into the large ballroom and scanned the area. Scattered around the large crowded room were their men, blending in with the crowd of sophisticated highlifes perfectly. Akane strightened her red, feathered phoenix eyemask and watched as a crowd of gentlemen approached her.  
"Looks like you attracted a crowd again, Scarlet Phoenix. I'll search the area for the Blue Dragon, you...um...entertain your admirers," Ujyo said and she moved away before Akane could protest. Akane turned her attention towards the group of approaching gentlemen all giving her the confident I-am-rich-so-every-girl-loves-me smile. Akane inwardly groaned and said into the tiny microphone in attached to a tooth in the back, "Ucchan, you owe me."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The music stopped and Akane smiled politely and left the arms of the guy who was dancing with her. Before another person could approach her, she walked swiftly to the large balcony on the far side of the room and closed the glass curtained doors behind her. Akane walked towards the railing and looked up at the moon as she breathed in the fresh air. She frowned at her failure to find the Blue Dragon, but maybe he didn't come. Ah, well, it didn't matter, another party, another crowd of people of the high class to meet. Unwanted, a memory came to mind, of a party in a dojo surrounded by friends and family and actually having fun. Akane abruptly cut off the thought, no more chances of that happening, she had made her choice and now she live with it.  
  
Akane's train of though was interrupted when she sensed someone beside her. *I didn't even hear or notice...* her mind thought. The person just continued to lean on the balcony and look at the stars a minute before speaking to her, "The stars are beautiful, aren't they?" *Wow, what a cliche line from the movies...* Akane's mind scoffed, but she said, "I don't find anything beautiful about burning balls of gas."  
The person gave a dry amused laugh, "True."  
  
Akane looked up then and gasped. There stood a man in a dark velvet blue suit, his black and blue pigtail behind him. Those weren't the things that surprised Akane, however, it was the dragon blue mask covering half his face.  
"Who are you?" she asked, not very original, but effective none-th-less.  
The man turned to her and Akane found herself looking into a pair of crystal-clear blue eyes, clearly contacts.  
"The name is Blue Dragon, but you already know that," Ranma said giving her his confident suave smile that made so many other women give in. Somehow he didn't expect to see this beauty when he saw the Scarlet Phoenix on the balcony, alone for once. Half of her face was covered by her mask and her eyes were clearly contacts with their blazing red, but he felt drawn to her. Ranma didn't know why, but their was something about her that was so familiar,...so tempting...so dangerous. The girl's blue hair that had streaks of red at the tips curled around her face and top body as if saying: See, but not touch. That, however, made it all the more tempting.  
  
Akane saw the Blue Dragon give her a look so obvious in it's meaning and her ming inwardly laughed at how predictable men can be. Yet, something else inside her also whispered that this wasn't any man and she shouldn't toy with him. Akane, skillfully silently moved her tongue and whispered in her mouth so that he could not see or notice...but the microphone could detect, "Ucchan, guys, I have him, he's at the balcony, come now."  
  
"Got it," a chorus of male and female voices echoed into the small speaker in her ear. Akane smiled brillantly, not so intimidateed so more by the dangerous look in her opponent's eyes. Suddenly a voice came through Akane's ear through the speaker that made her blood freeze.  
"Wait, everyone stop! I see them, the Blue Dragon's men are here too!" Ukyo's voice sounded, obviously alarmed.  
"How many are there?" Akane asked urgently, rethinking her options like an experienced chess player.  
"I don't know, but we can't risk it, Scarlet Phoenix. Out of there and now! We'll have men at the door to escort you," Ukyo stated calmly.  
  
"But, Ucchan, I can't just run away!" Akane whined.  
"Frankly, Scarlet Phoenix, you do not have an option. By the count, he has more people here then us and there could be more," the other girl stated matter-a-factly.  
Akane gave a low growl and she heard the Blue Dragon ask huskily, "Something wrong?" She pasted on a fake smile, the one that usually got her out of t6rouble and said, "Yes, seems that I am needed elsewhere." Akane started to move, but Ranma grabbed her elbow.  
  
Fear ran through her, but she said cooly, "I suggest you remove your hand, sir."  
"I don't take suggestions," Ranma said before pulling her towards him to kiss her. Akane remained frozen for a minute through her surprise before she snapped out of it...and fought back. Akane raised her knee to jab him in the somach, but Ranma easily swiped his hand to dodge it from his stomach. Akane's fist pulled back to punch hhim, but he blocked it. She gave a growl of frustration before she heard the click of a safety by the Blue Dragon's temple.   
  
Ranma let the girl go as soon as he felt cold metal on his temple and a thick low voice say, "Let her go, or get your brains scattered across the floor." The message was clear enough. Akane staggered a moment looking up to smile at the person who was quick enough to get there before her blood frozed at seeing another man pull a gun to the temple of the one holding a gun to the Blue Dragon's head. Like a pattern, others came from both sides and soon on that balcony held a group of people each with a gun pointed to their head and a gun in their hands...except her.  
  
Akane looked back the the Blue Dragon and noted his smug look as if saying, "What are you going to do now?" How she loved at that moment to pull out her oen small handgun and blast his brains out...but she was smarter then that. Akane knew if one person pulled the trigger, like a chain of dominoes, the others will too and soon everyone there will eith be dead or injured. Besides, a crowd was beginning to form. So, calmly she evaluated the situation, gave an obviously fake laugh and say as she lowered the gun holding the Blue Dragon's head, "Come now, people, the Blue Dragon here was just giving me a good-bye kiss. Let's try not to make a big deal out of something as trifle as that shall we."  
  
Slowly, the others noted the crowd of observers and pocketed their weapon. The people on the balcony were beginning to leave, but before she did Akane said to Ranma, "Well, Blue Dragon, I would have to say this meeting of ours was...interesting and as much as I enjoy your company and sense of humor, I advise you not to be so...friendly next time."   
"I don't take people's advice," Ranma said with a half smirk. He saw the Scarlet Phoenix's eyes blaze in rage, but her face remained neutral as she whispered one word before leaving, "Kantacharra." Ranma knew what it was...it was the Scarlet Phoenix's equivilent of saying, "This means war."  
  
After he was sure that all members of the Scarlet Phoenix were gone, Ryoga smacked Ranma upside the head and said, "You idiot!! How stupid were you?! Did you know how dangerous that kiss was? Do you know how much trouble you have caused us by doing that? Instead of following the plan, you...you...why did you do it?"   
Ranma wondered that himself. *Why did I do it...?* he wondered. It was just at that exact moment, under the moonlight, with her lips partly opened, the Scarlet Phoenix lookeed so familar, so much like... *No! Stop it!* Ranma commanded himself. Where had his control gone those couple of blissful minutes? *She's not her, they are all not her, and nomatter how hard you try, you won't find one that is...* his rationality screamed at him.  
  
"Listen, P-chan, I know what I'm doing. Even if I didn't do that, we still have a feud on our hands so I did what the old saying says: Know thy enemy. I got to know her," Ranma joked as Ryoga scowled.  
"Yeah well, just keep your hormones in check, Mr. Casanova. I shouldn't tell you this, after what you did, you don't deserve this little tidbit of information I am going to reward you with," at seeing Ranma's curious look, Ryoga sighed heavily and said, "Yari just called me and said that one Akane Tendo just checked into a cheap apartment downtown. There are also some dance clubs and theaters that say that someone paid them to hire an Akane Tendo to work temporairly there. Don't get your hopes up though, Blue Dragon."  
  
"Aw, Ryoga, after all those failures, I wouldn't set myself up to be broken," Ranma said although the big grin spreading across his face gave away any truth to his words. Ryoga just gave a frustrated sigh before leading his best friend and boss off of the balcony, a trail of henchmen behind them.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com. 


	4. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Chapter 3, Favors That We Owe

Author's Notes: I just seem to be on a writing streak now. One minute I had these writer's blocks, then bam! Ah, well, hope you enjoy this chapter. Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Independent Women belongs to Destiny's Child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane walked into the coffee shop and sat at her usual seat in the corner, by a window. Sheloved this seat, where she could see whoever enters the shop and what goes outside the window without anyone seeing her without trying. She almost looked ordinary and now in this place, she wasn't the Scarlet Phoenix, mysterious crime-boss, or Akane Varshardi, wealthy sophisticated owner of Falcon Companies. No, now she was just Akane, a reguler girl in a coffee shop. Too bad fantasies can't be real.

"So, what will you have, today, Akane?" the Roslynn, the red-haired, part Scot waitress asked.

Akane smiled, "Just the regular, thanks." Roslynn smiled and went to the counter. Akane put her head on her palm and her elbow on the table staring at the people outside. Strangely, she remembered the night before,...and the kiss. She could still remember the tingling sensation it caused and she scowled. Only Ranma could make that tingling sensation...not that he kissed her, but once. Ranma. Akane gave a sigh. What would he think of her now? He was the only thing, unruined, the only innocent memory left that she held onto when it was just too much.

Suddenly, just like always, she felt the gut-wrenching pain. It was the regret again and she felt it tear at her. *If he hadn't left...I wouldn't be here...he was supposed to be there...he wasn't...* she thought. So in the end she came to the conclusion she always came to: Your only hero is yourself. Sure, there were exceptions: Kasumi, Tofu, her nieces, Ucchan. Yet, in the end, if she wants to survive, there's no one to trust, but herself. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and she learned that firsthand.

"Fe-fe, is that you?" someone asked behind her. Akane turned around to see a long green-haired, green-eyes girl. Akane looked her over and saw the girl was wearing a pair of ripped jeans and an oversized t-shirt. Something was familiar about this girl, though. *Wait, did she just call me Fe-fe?*

"Sandy?!" asked Akane surprised, her visage brightening as she stood up. The girl nodded and they hugged before they sat down across of each other.

"Gosh, what did you do to your hair and when did your eyes become green?" Akane asked, still in shock at seeing her friend.

Sandy laughed, "Well, I wanted a change. You should have seen my last color. Was that a disappointment or what?" Akane gave a hearty laugh, mostly just because of the familiar warrm face.

"So, what are you doing here?" Akane asked.

"Thanks for the warm welcome, Fe-fe. I came here with Ma'am-" but she was interrupted by Akane, "Mel's here? Is-is-is-"

Sandy smiled, "Well, she was curious what little Fe-fe has made of herself." Akane grinneed from ear to ear and tried desperatly to keep from jumping with joy. Since, Mel had let her go three years ago, she thought she would never get to see her again. Mel had a rule, when she was sure, somebody should be let go, they can't come back to her unless she wants them to and she never did. Akane never gave her respect to anyone, no one deserved it, but she gives Mel her utmost respect. 

"Where is she staying?" Akane asked eagerly.

Sandy smiled mysteriously, "Are you lacking in your training, Fe-fe? Or, maybe you forgot that we don't give away any information to anyone." Akane blushed, she had obviously forgotten in her eagerness.

"In fact, I didn't even know I was going to meet you here, but I was supposed to find you. That was harder then I thought it would be, too hard, I almost gave up hope. Here's the address where Ma'am is staying. Don't visit until the end of the week, by the dawn..."

"No more, no less," Akane mumbled as she looked down at the simple grey card with an address on it. 

"Well, I need to get going if I am to make it on time," Sandy said as she dashed off. Akane chuckled, to Mel, "on time" was the exact hour, minute, and second. No sooner, no later. 

Akane turned her head towards the window again as Roslynn brought the coffee.

This time, the busy people on the streets were gone and an empty alleyway appeared...

######Flashback, 7 years before########

Akane sat in the empty alleyway, leaning against the wall, her ripped bag of belongings beside her. She knew her hair was dirty and disarray and her clothes were ripped and dirty to. Her hunger was so great, it seemed as if the hunger ate at her insides. She never knew finding a job in the city was going to be this hard. She had a highschool diploma, but obviously nobody wanted that, but she couldn't go home. No, they were depending on her at home, Kasumi was depending on her. Suddenly, Akane heard a scream and looked up to see a rich lady held by the throat with a knife. Obviously, it was a robber attempt, but the lady refused to give up her bag. *Doesn't she know, he'll kill her?* Akane couldn't take it anymore and despite the hunger she got up and attacked the man, having him on the floor in a second.

Akane saw a group of men come from different directions towards her and the lady who on closer inspection had midnight black hair and cold pitch-black eyes. 

"We are so sorry, Ma'am," the leader of the group apologized, but the lady had her eyes on Akane.

"You, come with me," the lady commanded. Akane started to walk away as she said, "No." She was desperate, but she still had her pride.

"You, hungry, girl?" the lady asked undaunted. As much as Akane would like to continue walking, she couldn't. The mention of food made her remember the pain in her stomach after several days without it. She turned around and said stiffly, "Yes." The lady smiled victoriously and snapped her fingers saying, "J, get her a sandwich."

One of the heavyset guys went to get it and returned in a second handing it to Akane. Akane had it finished in half a minute.

"You got a home, girl?" the lady questioneed as she put her hand under Akane's chin and moved her face around to inspect it. Akane looked at the lady's black eyes and she found that she couldn't lie.

"No," she mumbled as she felt tears enter her eyes. She did have a home, once, in a beautiful home with a dojo, a garden, and a pond.

"Then, I'll give you a home as well as food and clothes," the lady stated.

"What do you get out of all of this?" Akane asked suspiciously, all her life she knew one thing, nothing was for free.

The lady's pitch eyes twinkled, "You work for me. Think about it girl, I won't require you do anything that will harm your virtue, don't worry."

Akane didn't know why she trusted the lady, but she did. Maybe it was her clothes, or her hair, or the fact that she seemed to high to stoop that low. Akane nodded silently and the lady led Akane into a group of cars and she and Akane walked into one. As the car drove Akane asked, "Don't you want to know my name?"

The lady look at Akane, "Don't need to know your name. Whoever you were before I found you is dead in that alleyway. Who you were, what you did, or how you acted, is going to change. Your morals will change. Your outlook on life and people will change, for the better and the worse. I guess I need to start your training by telling you to call me Ma'am. Everyone else that works for me does."

Akane asked, "Can't I call you something else?" Strangely, the lady smiled and knew that the girl meant no disrespect by it.

"Melpomene," Akane whispered, not sure if the lady even knew who the name belonged to.

The lady laughed, "So, you want to compare me with the Greek muse of tragedy."

"Sorry," Akane mumbled.

"No, you can call me that if you want. Just wouldn't it be a little long?"

Akane brightened, "No, I'll call you Mel." 

########End of Memory########

Akane sat up and walked out of the coffee shop. As soon as she exited the door she saw her people scattered around. No more innocent memories of Akane Tendo, no more fun memories of Fe-fe, just the dangerous life of the Scarlet Phoenix and the brutal life of Akane Varshardi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.


	5. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 4, Friendship and Family  
  
Author's Notes: Here's the next chapter! I'm sorry it took so long, but I am finally giving another try at building a webpage. It will probably suck anyway. Just check it out at www.geocities.com/silverflame_maiden/Ranma_and_Akane_homepage.html?976781725000.  
I will probably put some stories there that I won't put on Fanfiction.net to save space. Like my new story The Royal Servant and maybe some one-shots. Check it out and tell me what you think.   
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane took her cell phone out of her Gucchi handbag as it rang loudly.   
"Hello?" she said into the small phone.  
A voice rang from it, "Hey, Ne-chan, why ain't you you here yet? You do know that the warehouse doors will close at exactly 1 right? I need you here, now!"  
"Oh, don't get all snitchy, Ucchan, I'm almost there anyways. It's not my fault I'm late, my stupid Benz broke down and I had to walk since none of the cabdrivers will drive to here," Akane complained.  
"Full of excuses, huh? Well, just get here soon. I'm getting freaked out," Ukyo shivered.  
  
"Aw, is the big bad Ukyo afraid of the dark?" taunted Akane.  
Ukyo scowled, "I'm not afraid of nothin' Akane. It's just that I happen to be alone, unarmed, on RURO street. RURO street Akane, the Blue Dragon's territory."  
"What are you doing being unarmed and by yourself you idiot?!" Akane practically yelled.  
"Well, how is it my fault all the guys was called off today because of the raid in our south warehouse. It ain't my fault either that my gun was stolen," Ukyo said defensively.  
  
Akane racked her mind remembered the raid. She had called all of her bodyguards off her too, but she still kept a small handgun in her pocket. Now, something nagged at her mind, the raid...the raid at the south warehouse...Ruro street...new shipment of weapons to Ruro warehouse...minimum fee...Ruro street was...was...Ruro street was in the NORTH!   
Akane broken into a run and screamed into her phone, "Ukyo! Get your butt out of there now! It's a trap! Now!" and she threw the phone onto the floor, not noticing that the line had already gone dead before she finished.  
***  
Akane rounded the corner just to see a bleeding Ukyo on the floor, her brown hair clinging in clumps to the rushing blood on her head. A group of 6 men and women surrounded her and a 7th man standing in the middle, beside her unconscious body, smiling grimly as he poised a gun directly in front of her head.  
Fear gripped Akane as she felt a depressing deja vu...  
  
######Flashback, years before######  
Akane stared wide-eyed in shock as the man clad in blue held a gun in front of Tyra's bleeding body. She held the small gun in her hand, her hand shaking. The gun was directed at the man and all she had to do was pull the trigger...pull the trigger...and take a life. The second of her decision seemed to expand to an eternity and all she saw was blood. Tyra's blood...and the mans' if she pulled the trigger...blood that she would cause. Her gun dropped the exact moment the bullet shot from the gun piercing straight into Tyra's temple. Her blood gushed out and Akane saw it. She knew she had indirectly caused it...either way...she had let someone die...and this time it was her friend that did, not her enemy.  
  
The man in blue turned to look first at the dropped gun at her feet before bringing his contact-blue eyes to meet Akane's. Contacts, she knew that they were that, for no one in this business showed their real eye color. His eyes told her everything, mocked her about her weakness...about her vulnerability. He took the gun and aimed it straight at her heart as his head nodded slightly at Tyra's bloody dead body. Akane knew what it indicated, he wanted her to know that all he had to do now was pull the trigger, one slight movement...and she would be lying dead on he floor just like Tyra. She knew that he was mocking her, and she hated him all the more for it.  
  
Akane made sure her eyes told him, wordlessly, just how much she despised him, before she put her head up stiffly and opened her arms out, her eyes never leaving his. *Go ahead, kill me...* she taunted him in her mind *...and it will just show how much a coward you really are.* He gave her a cold half-smile, then, clearly amused at her courage for he knew she was quaking with absolute terror on the inside. He threw the gun at her feet, knowing full well she would not pick it up to shoot him; he was just too good.   
  
Akane glared at him as her hatred, fear, and anger grew. She hated him for killing Tyra, she hated him for scaring her, she hated him for taunting her, mocking her; she hated him for all those things and more...but she hated him most for making her hate herself for failing to save Tyra. He nodded towards Tyra again telling her that he could have...but didn't.  
  
The man in blue walked away and Akane caught an animal on the back of his shirt next to the scar on his right shoulder. It was a blue dragon.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Mel sat at her chair looking at Akane like a cold ice queen on her throne. Akane dared not look into her eyes, the disappoinment there cut her to the very core.  
"What have I taught you, Fe-fe?" the Lady asked her neutrally.  
"Kill or be killed. If you do not kill the enemy, the enemy kills you. There are no friends in the world, only family. No one to trust, but family. No one to protect, but family and my only family is my clan," Akane replied with more emotion in her voice then her words.  
  
"Then, why have you allowed Tyra to die at the hands of another when you could have saved her?" Mel demanded mercilessly.  
Akane choked back a sob, "I am at fault for not being able to save Tyra's life when I could and I am shameful of my fear and ready to face the consequences."  
"Then, let it be so: Sandy, enter," Mel said.  
  
Sandy entered the room carrying a large potato bag, a stick, and a grown cat. She looked at the Lady and sighed inwardly. She had never seen the Lady so sad at punishing someone. Sandy walked up to Akane and the blue-haired girl courageously climbed into the bag holding the edges with her small trembling fingers. Sandy dropped the cat into the bag near Akane's bare legs. With one last apologetic glance at Akane, Sandy used the stick to hit the cat. Akane gave a scream as the cat clawed at her feet and continued to as Sandy kept on hitting the cat.  
  
"This is for your own good, Fe-fe," Mel whispered to herself.  
######End of Flashback######  
Akane grabbed her gun from her handbag and shot the man on the arm. The other men turned towards the direction of the shot, ready to fire, but Akane was quicker. With two shots towards one woman's hand and leg, she jabbed her elbow in one man's stomach before flipping him onto his back. The other four started shooting at her, but Akane dodged every attempt as she gave an upper kick at one man's head, then did a complete turn-around and kicked two women onto the floor. The last man was ready to strike at Akane, for his gun was empty, just like hers. With a cry, he lunged aimlessly toward her. Instead of dodging, Akane punched him straight in the head. Without a final look, the blue-haired girl picked up her friend and carried her towards the hospital.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane leaned back on her leather office chair looking out her window at the dark looming city. Ukyo was fine, she lost a lot of blood, but with some blood transfusions, she was ok again, though still unconscious. The Scarlet Phoenix refrained from breaking down into tears, but it was difficult. It wasn't really the fear of losing her best friend that frightened Akane, it was the reminder of her failure and shame years before. She hated the Blue Dragon with a stronger vengeance now.  
  
She twirled her red mask around her slender fingers. *The mask makes the person...* Thank goodness, Ukyo had worn her mask, otherwise they would have known who she was. Akane felt a deep biting regret. When she put on the mask, the contacts, and the red hair extensions, she was no longer Akane Tendo. She was the Scarlet Phoenix, the beautiful, mysterious, ice queen of the South and East side of the city. The one all men wanted, but were to afraid to try. The one that all women envied and yet scorned. Akane knew the rumors everyone spread about her. To them she was nobody, but a weak slut that only gained this position by sleeping with every man ever.   
  
That was why Akane would not, could not, allow any of her people, her family to die. They were the only ones that understood who she was. Yet, even her friends and the people that work for her only know her for the sophisticated, determined, confident, businesswoman that she was. They only knew Akane Varshardi. No, they didn't know Akane Tendo and few did.  
  
Ukyo knew Akane Tendo, the tomboy that laughed with her in a small Okonomiyaki restaraunt. Kasumi knew Akane Tendo, the younger sister that never really grew up and loved to have fun. Tofu knew Akane Tendo, the little patient that was full of energy. Asako and Mayabi knew Akane Tendo, the aunt that taught them what life meant. Soun knew Akane Tendo, the angry martial arts daughter he was so proud of. Ranma knew Akane Tendo, the kawaii girl that he fell in love with.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
On the other side of the city, a man got out of his large bed. He looked down to see the beautiful blonde sleeping naked in his bed and he snorted disgustedly at himself. He walked silently towards the window and closed his eyes, breathing in the night air. He picked up a photo frame from his desk and hugged it tight.   
Two different people, across this large city, what fate shall hold for them? Do you believe in soulmates? Do you believe that two soulmates must face obstacles and overcome them to be able to come together again? Well, the only thing between these two soulmates were a bunch of misconceptions, lies, hatred, pain, mistrust, and a large city only big enough for 1 clan.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: Check out my website people! 


	6. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 5, Don't Ask, Don't Tell  
  
Author's Notes: This is the next chapter and it may be a little confusing, but stick with it and you'll understand. Now, to those of you who are confused at why if Ranma loves Akane so much, he sleeps with so many different women? Well, see all these years Ranma's missing Akane and so he believes that if he dated all these women he could fill in the void and hurt   
that Akane left behind. It didn't work. Enjoy. Oh yeah, send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The doors to the G3 terminal opened and people filed out ready to greet their families and friends. Akane finally caught sight of a tall, brown-haired lady holding hands with two small children, Asako and Mayabi, Kasumi's boy and girl, 4-year old twins. Kasumi smiled as Akane rushed toward her and caught her in a breathless hug. Asako and Mayabi jumped up and down waving their arms at Tenchi and Ryan, Akane's guards, to pick them up. Ukyo smiled politely at Dr. Tofu and they watched as the two sisters hugged.  
  
"Hello Akane," Kasumi said at last when Akane finally let her go.  
Akane quickly wiped away any tears from her eyes and said, "Hi oneechan. Hello Tofu-sensei. Hey 'sako, Hey Maya'. Let's get going, 'k?" At that she told Tenchi and Ryan to pick up Kasumi and Tofu's luggage and she and Ukyo carried Asako and Mayabi out of the airport followed by Kasumi and Tofu.  
"My, Akane, aren't your friends nice? Driving you here and carrying our luggage. You should thank them," Kasumi said, referring to Tenchi and Ryan, just as Ukyo burst out laughing. Akane smiled and nodded, but she thought *They have to be 'nice' for the prices I pay them...*  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
They entered the small, studio apartment that was supposed to be where Akane lived. To be truthful, Akane saw the apartment for the first time that day. Kasumi looked around the apartment and smiled sweetly at Akane, obviously not seeing anything wrong.  
"Really, Akane, this is...nice," Dr. Tofu said as he bent down and looked at a greenish, bluish, brownish blob on the floor.  
"Look, Asako! The water's green!" Mayabi giggled. Akane turned to glare pointedly at Ukyo.  
"Green water, Ucchan?" Akane said into the microphone in her mouth so that only Ukyo, Tenchi, and Ryan can hear. Tenchi and Ryan burst out laughing at seeing Ukyo in trouble.  
"Listen, Ne-chan, I happened to be in the hospital these past days so I told Tenchi to find the apartment. I had nothing to do with this," Akane heard Ukyo say through the small speaker in her ear.  
  
Tenchi abruptly stopped laughing and said into his microphone defensively, "Hey, that's not fair. I told Ryan to get the apartment, I was supposed to arrange the actress jobs."  
Ryan turned to glare at Tenchi before turning and cheekily smiling at an angry Akane, "Well, listen Akane-chan, you're supposed to be a poor, starving actress right?"  
"But I'm not going to let Kasumi, Tofu and the kids living in this dump for a week!" Akane growled.  
Ukyo interrupted before Akane killed Ryan, "The solution is simple if ya blockheads bother to think. We'll just tell them that the place is under some sort of sterilization or something and we'll pay for them to live in a hotel. Agreed?"  
"Agreed," the others chorused.  
  
Kasumi looked up as Akane walked over to her. "Um...oneechan, I'm sorry, but the whole floor is going through this sterilization thing and you can't live here. I'll pay for the hotel though," Akane quickly assured.  
Kasumi agreed and the kids just jumped over living in a hotel, but Dr. Tofu wasn't so easily convinced. He eyed Akane suspiciously as he asked, "And where would you live Akane?"  
"Oh, he...he...I was just...I was...I was staying with a friend! Yeah, I was just gonna stay at a friend's house," Akane said.  
  
"Um...listen, Ya'll have a seat, k? No, don't sit on the couch! Sit on that table right there and talk. I gotta go and...and...and buy some soy sauce," Akane said as she edged toward the door.  
"Why would we need-?" Ukyo began but Akane was already out the door.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane walked through the streets and relaxed. She was allowed time to think, think, and think. Time to digest all that has happened and plan. That is how it was ifyou wanted to work this game. If you had to lead a clan, you had to think like a chess player. Plan your moves ahead of your opponents...and patience. Lots and lots of patience. Akane had to work months to develop the patience she had now. Chess. She needed to make a move now to ensure that she wouldn't be hearing from the Blue Dragon this week that Kasumi is here. After some more thinking, Akane finally, took out her cell phone and dialed the number of the officer under her payroll.  
  
"Hey, talk," Akane heard Cole say.  
"Hey Officer Cole, listen, I want you to tell the chief about a new shipment of weapons on the Third Dock in, oh about, 45 minutes. This is big. The source that you got this is anonymous. Bye," and with that Akane hung up. It wasn't fair of her to do that, but, hey, whoever said the game was fair. Feeling happy with herself Akane walked into a small restaurant and ordered some food.  
  
Half-way through her meal, Akane heard Ukyo's voice say over the speaker in her ear, "Akane, get home, NOW!"  
"What's the matter, Ucchan. I'm eating here, whatever it is, you, Tenchi, and Ryan can solve it, okay?" Akane replied, annoyed that her meal was interrupted.  
"I am not playing with you, Ne-chan, you had better get you butt home, quick because something big has happened," Ukyo demanded.  
"What happened? Did the world end because my side of the world seems pretty normal," Akane snapped back.  
Ukyo chuckled nervously, "This is very close to the end of the world. Just get your butt back here or I am so gonna kill you. Now bye." With that, Akane heard the dial tone. Grumbling about stupid, bossy friends Akane paid the check and exited the store.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane opened the door to her apartment and yelled, "Hey, Ucchan, Kasumi,   
Tenchi, Ryan, where are ya'll?" Ukyo rushed from the bedroom and was rushing Akane out the door, intent on warning her of what was about to happen, when someone walked from the   
bedroom door, followed by Kasumi that stole all of Akane's attention.  
  
Akane felt her breath freeze and she faintly heard Ukyo's, "Damn," in the distance, but all her focus was on *him*. What was he doing here? There stood Ranma and Ryoga, but only a sub-conscious part of Akane noticed Ryoga, all her senses pointed at Ranma. He looked better then she thought he would. He looked better then in her dreams, in her hopes, in her visions. He looked so much better, and he was here, now. Ranma. Akane's trained eye   
looked him over. He was wearing black, silk, Chinese pants, and a large, blue, silk shirt. His hair was still in that pig-tail, but his face. Oh, his face...a faint white scar ran over his left cheek, but his face was older, more dangerous, and his face was so brutally, drastically handsome.   
*How many hearts has he broken...?* Akane found herself wondering, *...including mine...* His eyes were still the same bluish-grey they were before and Akane noticed with a jolt that he was staring at her as well.  
  
Ranma looked at her and felt like either breaking down crying, or laughing. He did neither. He noted that she was taller and filled out in a lot of places, losing the last of her baby fat. As skilled as he was, he noted that her posture was straight, tall, confident of everything that she did. She wore a large sweatshirt and bellbottom jeans, looking normal with her blue-black hair put up so that it fanned around her face. The hairstyle and clothes were average and Ranma felt a warm familiarity along with it. She was better then he could possibly dream; warm, kind, beautiful, and the only thing that was not part of the life he had now. A tiny, mini scar was on her left cheek, near her ear and covered by her hair. Ranma looked at her brown eyes and sighed as he felt like drowning. Just drown in those deep, brown eyes and not return. Yet, suddenly, Akane's eyes hardened and Ranma saw anger there.  
  
After spending years as Akane's best friend, Ukyo knew when Akane's anger   
peaked and now was one of those moments so she nervously laughed and said, "He... he.... Ne-chan, you...um...remember Ranma?"  
"How could I forget such a bastard? After all, it's only once in a   
lifetime you meet someone as annoying or traitorous as him!" Akane snapped, her eyes practically blazing. Ranma and Ukyo winced at Akane's tone and words and Ukyo said, "Aw, c'mon now, Ne-chan, he didn't know. I'm sure if he did he would have stayed. Besides, even if he did stay, he couldn't have possibly done anything. It would have ended the same way. Let it go."  
"What didn't I know?" Ranma asked Ukyo, but she wasn't paying attention to him, but instead trying to defuse Akane's anger.  
Akane glared at Ranma and he could see tears in her eyes now, "Well, I'm sorry, Saotome-san if I offended you in any way, but life has been tough and my manners have become terrible, now if you'll excuse me..." Unable to end that Akane ran out of the room. Ukyo looked after her, she knew Akane only used a 'polite' tone with those she hate or feel no connection too. She turned to tell Ranma to chase after Akane, but he was already gone.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane used her speed to run on top of the buildings till she reached the roof of Falcon Industries. The laws of gravity were always broken when you were a martial artist. Akane climbed onto the large metal box where the door to enter to roof was and sat down. She could see the whole city up there. Sitting here always reminded her of that gaijin movie, The Lion King. Looking at the city, it was bright, but at the ends on two sides were dark. Those were the streets normal people didn't enter for the danger. Half of those streets were hers. Tears were in her eyes, but none ran down her cheek. Mel told her not to cry, that it was weak, and one could not afford to be weak in this business.  
  
Akane saw Ranma land on the roof so she bent down to hide from him.Looking around, Ranma yelled, "Akane, where are you?" *Should I answer him? If I don't he probably won't go away...*  
"Go away, Ranma," Akane called from on top the metal box. Ranma looked up at her and was about to climb up when she said stubbornly, "Don't you dare come up here."  
Ranma sat down beside the metal box and for awhile they just sat silence wondering what they should say to each other. Finally, Ranma spoke up, "So...what was with that show back there?"  
  
"It doesn't matter," she said stubbornly.  
"It doesn't matter, but it matters enough that you got angry at me," Ranma said softly.  
"Touché," Akane commented, but said nothing else.  
"Well..." Ranma prompted.  
"Well what?" she asked, annoyed.  
Ranma sighed, "Well, what happened after I left?"  
  
Akane thought not to tell him, but then decided he would find out from Ukyo or Kasumi anyway so she told him, "After you left, Ucchan moved her okonomiyaki shop to the city and Shampoo..."  
  
#######Flashback########  
Akane walked by the Neko-Hanten and she saw that it was closed with a "For   
Sale" sign on the front. Surprised, she entered the restaurant to see Shampoo packing up things into a box.  
"Shampoo, what are you doing?" Akane asked. The Chinese Amazon turned her   
head up and her purple ponytails waved as her violet eyesglittered with tears.  
"Shampoo and hiba-chan go back to village. Go home to China," she answered   
as she stood up.  
"What? Why?" Akane asked confused. *If their leaving, shouldn't they go chasing after Ranma.* she wondered.  
"Amazon village say Shampoo waste too too much time chase after Airen. Must go back to village now," she whispered.  
  
Maybe it was intuition, maybe it was just a personal understanding, but in that moment Akane understood that in her own way...Shampoo had loved Ranma too. It wasn't just an infatuation with his skills, or a duty she must fulfill, but Shampoo had honestly loved Ranma Saotome. The revelation sent Akane staggering. *But how could she love him? She didn't even know him that well! She was only impressed by his skill and thought she loved him!* Akane tried to convince herself, but the truth was there in Shampoo's eyes. *Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, therefore winged cupid painted blind...* Akane remembered Kuno quoting to her once.  
  
"You loved him, didn't you?" Akane whispered in awe. Shampoo looked up at her, "Pervert girl love Ranma too. So did Spatula girl and Crazy girl. It not matter who we love, matter who Ranma love. Ranma gone now, we never know. Mousse come back to village too. Akane come visit, yes? Good luck, pervert girl."  
#######End of Flashback#######  
"...and Shampoo was gone the next day. Some people bought the Neko-hanten   
and Ucchan's Okonomiyaki and made it into a nail salon and mini-clothes shop."  
"That still doesn't explain why you're angry with me," Ranma reminded her.Akane looked out at the shadows of the city again and smiled grimly as she said, "Don't worry, Ranma. You'll understand. So, Ukyo, Shampoo, your parents, and Ryoga was gone. My life was back to the way it was before you came as if you had never been there at all. Sometimes, I'll have to look at a photo of you to convince myself that you did exist and all that stuff did   
happen. Then, a couple months later, daddy died-"  
"You don't sound all that sad when you say it," Ranma said. He wasn't shocked about Soun's death. His researchers had already told him that.  
  
Akane laughed, "Sad? Yeah, I was sorta *sad*, as you put it, we all were, but after awhile, the pain numbs and the scar heals over-"  
"But the scar's still there," Ranma pointed out.  
"You've taken up a habit of interrupting, huh? Well, daddy died and he left us with a mess of debt. Nabiki told us to file for bankruptcy and we did. They took away everything-"  
"You mean the Tendo Dojo's gone?" he asked incredulous.  
"For awhile, but I bought it back. Anyways, they took away everything and then... then...Nabiki...she left! She just up and left one day. We were living at Dr. Tofu's at the time since we didn't have anyone to turn to and Nabiki just up and left me and Kasumi when she was the only one that could make money! No one in Nerima would hire a 17-year old, inexperienced girl and I couldn't make Kasumi work so I went to the city to find work and here I am. Working as an actress and sending money home every month," Akane explained.  
  
Ranma was suspicious about the chunk of her life that Akane left out. The 7 years from when she arrived at the city until now. Ranma, knew from personal experience, that a 17-year old, no-degree, kid could just walk into the city and get a job. It was either, go home or starve and die. Of course, there was one more option, but Ranma immediatly disregarded Akane taking the same route he had.It was silence again, that quiet demon that fills the air. Akane spoke up again just to break it, "So what do you work as?"  
"Oh, I teach a karate class," he said the lie smoothly.  
  
"So, do you have a-" but his cell phone interrupted him. Ranma picked up his cell phone and said, "What is it?"  
Ryoga's heavy breath came through the phone as if he was talking and running at the same time, "The police raided our shipment on the Third Dock. Get here quick."   
Ranma hung up and he quietly cursed, "Shit!"  
"What is it?" Akane asked.  
Ranma looked up at her and he found that his years of practiced lives were wasted at the sight of her eyes, "Um...an emergency at the job, I need to go." With that he jumped off the building and was gone.  
  
Akane watched him run off and heard her cell phone ring. Picking it up she heard Cole's voice on the other line.  
"Hello?"  
"Job's done boss. The chief sent men to take on the Third Dock. The whole shipment is taken and several of their men were tooken in. The chief even awarded me for the info. Thanks."  
Akane smiled, "No problem, it was my pleasure." and she hung up. Never once did it occur to her of the connection.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@htomail.com.  



	7. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon,

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 6, The Debt They Must Pay...  
  
Author's Notes: Mid-terms are over! Finally! Anyways, I'll be able to write more now. In case anyone is wondering...here is a short progress report. For The Royal Servant, I have a lot of ideas for this series and it's roughly outlined in my mind already and all I have to do is type it and I'm set. For When The Children Are Grown, like The Royal Servant, I have mnay ideas for this series too so don't worry. Um...about The Scarlet Trail, I am run dry for this series...sorry. That's it for now. Comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com and please sign my guestbook. Oh yeah, if anyone is offended by "language" or curse words, I suggest you do not read this.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma hurried into his office and searched through the papers on his desk. Ryoga, meanwhile, was searching through the papers in the drawer by the wall. Both of their faces were set in frustration and exasperation.  
"Where is it?!" Ranma yelled as he threw his arms up in the air.  
Ryoga continued his search, but said, "It has to be here, Ranma, just keep looking. I wonder who would dare set us up like that, I mean the cops had to have somebody on the inside rat on us."  
"Who is it? Do you even have to ask it? It's that bitch, the Scarlet Phoenix. When I think about her...I...ugg...I mean first she severely injures five of my best assassins and now she has the nerve to do this! We need to find those papers, Ryoga, proving the shipment wasn't ours, but was someone else's. Now, I-...wait a minute, what's this?" Ranma picked up an envelope with a blue dragon on it.  
  
Ryoga stared at the envelope and rushed over. Both men stared at the dragon on the envelope as if it was a sign of their death and doom.  
"Do you think-?" Ryoga began, but Ranma cut him off, "It has to be. Damn! What could he possibly want?!"  
Ryoga gave a cheeky smile, "Maybe he misses you and just wants to see how you're doing, that's all."  
"Yeah, and the Scarlet Phoenix is Akane. Things like that just doesn't happen," Ranma turned the envelope over and opened it.  
  
He pulled out a letter and both martial artists gulped before starting to read:  
  
Isn't ' money cunning on my intelligence nothing grand. Before eating read elephant ate decisions you.  
  
The message made little sense to anyone else since it obviously was a code. It, also, happened to be a child's code, but the message was clear enough. Take the first letter out of each word and what do you get? "I'm coming. Be ready."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane stood in front of the large doors to the gold suite in the Hotel Grande, her hand poised ready to knock. Room 706. That was the message that Sandy had left her that morning when she told her that Mel wanted to see her at exactly 4:00 P.M today. Akane took a deep breath *After so long...I'll be able to see Mel again...* Akane finally gave three, sharp, loud knocks on the door.  
  
Sandy opened the door and smiled widely at Akane before pulling her into the room and locking the door behind them.  
Looking around the room, Akane was unimpressed, she was used to luxury, anyways.  
"Where's Mel?" Akane whispered to Sandy, but before the other girl could reply, a sharp voice rang from beside the mini-bar, "Right here, Fe-fe."  
  
A smile spread across Akane's face at seeing her old boss stand beside the bar, pouring a bottle of drink into two glasses. Mel didn't look a day older then 29, though she must be reaching her forties by now. Her dark brown hair hung over her shoulders, a hair not out of place, while she wore an expensive, gray, chanel suit.  
  
Akane walked over to the lady that was the closest to a mother that she ever had and her smile grew. Mel offered one glass of the strange alcohol to Akane and gave a wry grin as she said, "Drink, Fe-fe?"  
Akane took the glass, but before she drank it, she sniffed it and said in amusement, "Poison, Mel? That was so obvious, are you lacking in skill?"  
  
The older lady smiled, "No, but you're lacking in experience, Fe-fe. Take a look at your hand and tell me what you see."  
Akane looked down at her hands just to see the veins in her hand become a dark green, traveling slowly up her system. She, immediately laughed and drank the glass. Her veins turned back to their original color.  
  
"Bravo! But must you always win in everything, Mel?" Akane laughed.  
"Yes," Mel said simply and both Akane and Sandy broke into laughter this time.  
"You dare laugh at the Lady's expense?" Mel asked seriously.  
Akane's eyes narrowed and her mouth turned grim, but her eyes still held the twinkle of humor, "I am no longer one of your henchmen, Mel. I don't work for you anymore."  
Mel drank from her glass as she said, "My loss then."  
  
Then as if she was commenting on what she had for lunch, Mel said non-chalantly, "I never did say I'd let you live, did I?"  
Akane and Sandy smiled, "No, but you can try and take my life."  
"You'd actually let me try?"  
Akane flashed Mel a broad grin, "I said you can try, Mel, I never said you'd succeed, did I?"  
  
Mel gave a low laugh and said, "So, tell me about this Scarlet Phoenix and Akane Varshardi..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane hummed a tuneless song as she walked happily down the street. People walked to and fro on all sides of the street, eager to get to their destination soon, not noticing their surroundings in an overpopulated city. Akane stopped along with a crowd of people on one side of the street, the red blinking hand on the other street telling her not to cross yet. A cinnamon, glazed donut was in her hand as she nibbled gently on it. The meeting with Mel today had sent her into a more confident, joyful mood so she had decided to indulge herself for once. With 3 famous chefs working for her and cooking all sorts of rare, delicious meals, this one cinnamon, glazed donut tasted sweeter then anything she could remember at that moment. The shrill sound of her cell phone rang from her Gucchi purse and Akane put her donut in her mouth as she answered it.  
  
"Eh-oh?" she mumbled, the donut still in her mouth.  
"Hello, Akane?" a smooth voice rang out on the other end.  
Akane's mouth dropped open in surprise and her sweet donut immediately fell onto the cold, dirty ground just as the light changed and people started crossing the street.  
"Damn!" Akane mumbled as she crossed the street among the crowd of people.  
"I'd take that as you're not happy to hear from me?" the amused voice joke.  
  
"No, no, it's just-" Akane began, then stopped and her eyebrows knit together as she asked, "Ranma, how did you get the number to my cellphone?"  
"Kasumi told me," Ranma replied truthfully.  
"What do you want Ranma?" Akane asked.  
  
The guy on the other line chuckled deeply, "I can just hear the enthusiasm in your voice, Akane."  
"I'm sorry Ranma, I don't know why I snapped at you," Akane lied, she did know. Here she was happily thinking about her life now, her life and how successful she was, how happy she was supposed to be when Ranma called, pouring salt over the wound she thought she had closed years ago, making her have a moment of wishing for something that she could never have. *Sweet, innocent Ranma. You probably have no idea about the other side of the city...or the dark side of life...you probably don't know about true hunger, or fear, or desolation, or hopelessness, or betrayal, or murder, or death...my naive Ranma...*  
  
"It's okay, um...I was wondering if you would want to go to a party I'll be throwing at my apartment tonight?" Ranma asked, a catch in his voice.  
"Sure Ranma, no prob, now where's your apartment?" Akane smiled.  
"Oh it's the third building on Tymia street, 5th floor, 2nd apartment to the left," Ranma replied.  
Akane's mind gave a dry laugh *...Tymia street...the good side of the city...*  
Suddenly, she saw something that made her throat jump. There a few yards down the street was a man with crystal blue eyes that stared mockingly at her. She remembered that face and all the memories rushed at her again carrying the pain, anger, and guilt along with it. She saw Tyra's bloody body in that cold alleyway again and Akane saw him standing over her body with a gun. Then, she saw those cold eyes laughing at her terror.  
  
Once again she felt the familiar fear grip her...but this time she wasn't stupid...she wasn't inexperienced...and she wasn't scared. Sort of like a child that was afraid of monsters under the bed until when they grew up and knew there were no monsters under there. Akane grew up in those few years...and she was ready for revenge...  
Smiling, Akane began to pull out her handgun from her bag when the figure shook his head slowly, a terrifying grin growing on his face, and disappeared through the crowd. Rushing through the sea of people, Akane couldn't find him and gave a frustrated groan before she heard a voice yell on the cell phone she still gripped in her hand, "Akane?! Akane?!"  
  
"Oh sorry, Ranma," Akane said, "I just thought I saw an old friend, that's all..."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
(That night)  
Akane, Wasuki and Ukyo stood in front of the apartment door, the music blazing from inside.  
"Are you sure your friend won't get mad if I went to his party uninvited?" Wasuki asked, not all that worried.  
"Listen, hon', he won't mind," Ukyo said.  
"Yeah, and you need to get over that idiot that dumped you," Akane joined in.  
  
After they knocked on the door, a blond guy opened it. He smiled at them and said, "Hi, I'm Daniel, come in," before he closed the door.  
Inside the loud-music, dark room Ukyo smiled dazzlingly at Daniel and fluttered her eyelashes obviously as she said, "Hey, sugar, wanna dance?"  
"Sure," and with that Daniel started pulling Ukyo onto the dance floor.  
"What about-?!" Akane began, but Ukyo just yelled back, "Tell him I'll meet him later!"  
  
Both Akane gave a look to each other that said, *That's Ukyo*.  
"Come on, " Akane started pulling Wasuki through the crowd, "I'll introduce you to him."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Ranma stood next to the two large speakers as he joked with Ryoga and a group of guys. Suddenly,, he saw Akane heading towards him and he stood up straighter as he smiled. Ryoga nudged Ranma in the ribs as he whispered a warning, "Run." Obviously, Ryoga saw something Ranma didn't. Ranma just shot a scowl at Ryoga's way before turning back to Akane. By the time he noticed what was wrong Akane and her friend had already reached them.  
  
Ranma stared wide-eyed at Akane's friend as Akane introduced her, "Ranma, I'd like you to meet Wasuki. Wasuki, Ranma."  
Beside him Ranma heard Ryoga chuckle and say in a low voice, "Busted."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: Send all comments and criticism to silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com.  



	8. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 7, Ride Of A Lifetime  
  
Author's Notes: Here I am once again with the next chapter to Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon. Surprised? Nah, I told ya I had a lot of ideas for this series. I reread the last chapter and noticed I'm not very good with cliffhangers so I'll try to stay away from them altogether. How's that sound? Oh, yeah, Wasuki does not know of Ranma and Akane's identity as the Scarlet Phoenix and Blue Dragon. There's not really much for me to say, except e-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com or sign my guestbook. I love to hear from ya! Peace :)  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Ranma?" Wasuki practically yelled.   
"Um...hi Wasuki," Ranma replied nervously. He could hear Ryoga laughing at his right about his predicament. Wasuki's mouth was slightly open in surprise, her dark green eyes holding surprise and shock. Ranma took a quick look at how Akane was taking this and all he saw was confusion in the girl's eyes. *Good...* he thought *...Akane doesn't know... much...so I can still solve this...*  
"Wasuki, you know Ranma?" Akane asked. Thanks to her years of training she could observe and sense the littlest things and right now she was sensing an undercurrent of something going between them. Also, thanks to her years of training under Mel she could also hide the fact that she knew something was going on under a mask of confusion and obliviousness.  
  
"Does she know Ranma? Hah! Oh, she knows Ranma alright!" Ryoga laughed obnoxiously earning him a elbow in the gut from a tight-lipped Ranma Saotome.  
"Oh, really?" Akane said quizzically raising an eyebrow at Ranma. The Scarlet Phoenix silently racked her mind for anything Wasuki could have said in the past indicating that she knew Ranma.  
Wasuki snapped out of her stupor and she looked from Ranma to Akane. A slow realization came to her that these two *friends* did not know who the other was. Ranma didn't know Akane's identity and Akane didn't know Ranma's. They, no matter how successful and observant they seemed, did not know the others identity. Looking back at Ranma's face she noted how for all the time she knew Ranma, this was the first time that he actually seemed uncertain of himself. A malicious idea occurred to her that she should just tell Akane everything she knew of this womanizing, billionaire of a person that Akane thought she knew so well.  
  
"Of course, Akane, Ranma and me have known each other quite...intimately, won't you say, Ranma?" Wasuki said and the glint she saw in Ranma's hard eyes coldly and frighteningly reminded her of who she was dealing with here. Ranma Saotome was the billionaire tycoon that was hard-edged and refused no excuses. He was also the billionaire that mercilessly defeated all who dare oppose him. The room suddenly became too hot for Wasuki and she found that she could barely breathe.  
At Wasuki's answer Ryoga burst out in another fit of laughter. Ryoga didn't realize the full impact of the situation yet and all he noticed was that Ranma's many escapades and heartbreaks finally came back to bite him in the butt.   
  
The answer finally came to Akane like a light bulb was lit into her head. She remembered now what Wasuki had said that day a couple weeks before...  
  
######Flashback#########  
Akane sat at her desk, a frown marring her beautiful features showing her frustration clearly. She was not in a good mood today, having heard of the Blue Dragon persuading Fiya, the boss of the small section of the East side to become his ally. Now, she would have more difficulty then ever managing her business. Akane needed to think of a way to persuade Fiya back to her side.  
  
Raye's voice suddenly rang through the intercom, "Wasuki's on line 4." Akane rolled her eyes at her secretary's rude manner, she couldn't really blamed her though. After all, Akane didn't let her go home for the break.  
Sighing Akane picked up the phone and pressed line 4, "Hello?"  
"Hi, Akane, guess what?" the excited voice of the red-head rang from the other line. Akane inwardly groaned, she really didn't have the time to deal with her ever-talkative friend. Wasuki never was able to become really close with Ukyo and Akane, although it others have wondered why. They were three successful beautiful, intelligent, Japanese women from Falcon Industries that left men at their feet.   
  
Yet, there was more behind them that made Wasuki very different from Akane and Ukyo. Wasuki was a green-eyed, red-headed princess daughter of a Stock millionaire. She grew up in a big house by a huge pool and never even considered the prospect of fighting. Though no way spoiled, Wasuki grew up having the looks, the brains, and everything that she wanted, she got. Wasuki grew up among other country club, horseback riding, tennis-playing normal girls. A clean-cut diamond from a clean-cut family she went to college and got a great job at Falcon Industries right after.   
  
Wasuki never knew about Jusenkyou curses, Chinese Amazons, Dark Princes, or Kamiis. She didn't know what it was like to have your fiancee of so many years break your heart into pieces. Wasuki wasn't abandoned by the side of the road by her father and best friend, forced to live on the side of the road as a boy and earning her own living by cooking Okonimiyaki only to find her love again and have him leave her. She didn't have her mother die at a young age and have her father dependent on her and her sisters.   
Yet, the main reason why Wasuki was never able to become best friends with Akane and Ukyo, despite her intelligence, out-going nature, intellect, optimism, and wonderful nature lies in only one simple reason. She did not know about the dark side of life. She didn't know about hunger, death, true heartbreak, war, weapons, hate...all those and so much more. She didn't have to really fight for her life and happiness. Wasuki was smart, but she was also as innocent of life and human nature as a newborn baby.  
  
"Oh, hi Wasuki. So, what's up," Akane said cheerfully as she continued to think about Fiya's siding with the Blue Dragon's clan.   
"I have a new boyfriend Akane! He's so cute and wonderful! He's this really rich executive too, you might have heard of him, his name is..." Wasuki continued, but Akane barely listened to her friend, her mind still set on getting Fiya back to her side...  
#######End of Flashback#######  
*...his name is...Ranma...* Akane remembered now, clearly as ever. *Ranma was the one that Wasuki was talking about...that executive boyfriend...the one that dumped her...and cheated on her...Ranma?!*  
  
Feigning surprise, masking her pain, Akane joked, "Oh, I remember now, Wasuki did tell me about you Ranma. So, you're that jerk that cheated and dumped her, huh? Shame on you Ranma." Hearing what Akane said, Ryoga stopped laughing, finally realizing what was happening.  
Ranma looked at Akane closely, but he could not read her emotions at all...which scared the hell out of him. *C'mon, you stupid tomboy...be angry...be sad...but whatever you do...please not not care...* Ranma begged in his heart. Ranma was suddenly washed with anger that Akane didn't care either way.  
  
"Akane, I -" Ranma began, but he was cut off by a laughing Akane, "Oh, Ranma, how could you?! My heart is torn into pieces! How could you be so terrible, so careless, so obnoxious. Oh alas, the great jerk Ranma Saotome is really a jerk! Horror of horrors, my delicate heart breaks so. Boohoohoohoo!"   
Just the thing to break the tension and thin ice of that moment and cause everyone to start laughing and relax again, even Ranma, who would have given anything for an excuse of his actions. Amongst the laughter nobody heard a tiny crack make it's way through Akane's so-called stone heart and a little voice say evilly, *...another dream to the dust...dreams and hopes don't last, Akane...you know that...the Scarlet Phoenix knows that...*  
  
Everyone started conversing again in a relaxed manner, careful now not to tread on dangerous ground and staying off personal subjects.   
Ukyo came over, dragging a tall, blond guy behind her, a large grin on her face. She ran over to give a hug to Ranma, showing that there was no ill feelings left between them.  
"So, what's going on?" the Okonomiyaki chef asked.  
A fire lit in Akane's depths of brown and she said cheerfully, "Only that we found out that Ranma was the executive jerk that dumped Wasuki."  
  
"WHAT?!" Ukyou shouted in surprise causing Ranma to wince as if struck.  
"Ne-chan, are you-" Ukyo looked worriedly at Akane only to see the what she was afraid she might. Standing there beside Ranma was not Akane Tendo, but the Scarlet Phoenix, confident, proud...and merciless.  
"It's okay, Ukyo, my heart has just been torn into pieces that's all," Akane joked again, causing another round of laughter. Laughing along with the crowd, Ukyo thought, *Oh, Ne-chan...I'm so sorry...don't turn cold again...your giving away a piece of yourself every time you do...*  
  
"So, what do we do now?" after awhile, Jason, a friend of a friend of a friend, asked.  
"I have a great idea, if you guys are up to it," a drunk guy said.  
"What?" everyone looked at him. Everyone at the party was already drunk by this time except for Ranma, Akane, Ukyo, and Ryoga who were only pretending to be drunk. Being Martial Artists they learned long ago that you should never take more alcohol then you could handle, because if you did, you open a weakness for yourself if you didn't know the Drunk-Fu.  
  
"Well," the guy said staggering slightly, a beer bottle in his hand, "I happen to know that down on Terdan street that the gangsters and street people are going to meet like they usually do and hold contests. It might be interesting to watch."  
"Are you crazy. There's no way in hell any of us are stupid enough to go to Terdan street in the morning, much less at night!" a guy yelled out and everyone agreed. The subject was over with, but Ranma looked over to see an interested look on Akane's face.  
  
"So, what do you say, Akane?" Ukyo asked her friend, amusement clear on her face. Akane could never turn down a chance to show off her skills, something very much like Ranma.  
"What?! Are you crazy, you can't go there Akane!" Wasuki shouted, but Akane just licked her lips and said sweetly, "Just watch me, c'mon Ucchan."  
Ignoring everyone the two girls walked over to the door only to turn around and see Ryoga and Ranma behind them.  
  
"Where are you two going?" Ukyo asked.  
At that, Ryoga flashed a bright grin showing off his cute sharp fangs, "What? You two can go have fun while we have to stay here?"  
Eyeing Ranma, Akane put one hand on her hip and said, laughter in her voice of for the first time since the beginning of that night, "You aren't scared of Teran street?"  
"If you two weak girls aren't scared then why should we be?" Ranma asked, joining in her light banter.  
"Less chatting, more going to the cool contests," Ukyo giggled as she pulled Akane along followed by two grinning guys.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Teran street wasn't really a street, but a large section of the city that people named a street unofficially. It was where the street people, the people of the streets were. They lived there, worked there, and survived there. For one of her training lessons, Mel had sent Akane to live 3 months on Teran Street and survive. Akane not only survived she learned a few tricks and made a few friends as well.  
  
That night, as Ranma, Ryoga, Akane, and Ukyo stood there amongst metal drums of oil and fire along with weird, unethical humans that made their lives from the streets they felt...at home. The sounds of screaming, motorcycles and such rang through their ears. After walking around and watching the contests, they heard a shout behind them.  
"Hey Fe-fe, when'd you come back?!" a man shouted. The group of four turned around to see a tall, muscled man in a leather jacket with a helmet in his arm running up to them. Ranma watched as Akane's face lit with exhuberation and joy as she ran up to hug the guy around the neck tightly and he swung her around.  
  
"Fe-fe, it's been so long, I was beginning to think you were too good for us," the guy laughed as he put Akane down and the girl laughed also, her face flushed.  
Seeing Ranma's angry expression Ukyo laughed and said, "So, why not introduce us to this cute friend that you know so well Ne-chan," as she thought, *...serves you right Ran-chan...*  
Seeing Ranma's angry expression as well, Ryoga joined Ukyo in the laughter, "Yeah, introduce us Akane," as he thought *...serves you right Ranma...*  
  
"Yeah, Akane, introduce us," Ranma grinded through his teeth, an irrational jealousy eating at him.  
"Okay, okay, this is my friend Ryuu. He's an old friend," Akane explained then turned to give a meaningful look at Ukyo, "He helped me out during my training period."  
Understanding dawned on Ukyo and she was filled with a sudden respect for Ryuu, *So he was the one that helped Ne-chan during her training on Teran street...*  
  
"Hey, Ne-chan, how about joining the next race. You know, show these young ones what the legend's all about. My bike's over there, you can use that," Ryuu persuaded smoothly and Akane agreed.  
They all walked over to an overweight man with one long hoop gold earring and a skimpy-clad girl on his arm.  
"How much for the next round?" Akane asked the man.  
The man assessed the thin girl and rolled his eyes; It wasn't his fault if these idiots wanted to kill themselves.  
"Name." he said.  
  
Ryoga and Ranma watched in amazement as the tomboy Akane actually showed no fear and answered smoothly with pride, "Fe-fe."  
All three of them, Ukyo, Ranma, and Ryoga watched in amazement as the man's mouth dropped open, his eyes widening.   
"The Fe-fe?" he asked to have Akane answer, "The Fe-fe. Now, how much?"  
"200," He replied as Akane handed the money over. This was a once in a life-time event, he was staring face-to-face with the legendary Fe-fe, the biker that made so many others eat her dirt.  
  
Ranma walked up and slapped $200 on the metal drum.  
Looking at Akane, he said, "I'm in the next race as well."  
Akane looked in shock at the boy she once knew, "You know how to ride Ranma?"  
"A little," he replied mischievously causing a burst of laughter from Ryoga.  
  
Ukyo shot an annoyed glance at the fanged-boy next to her, "What is so funny? You laugh at everything."  
Smiling at Ukyo, causing the girl's heart to flutter slightly, Ryoga said, "I try to enjoy life and find amusement in everything-"  
"He also has a weird sense of humor," Ranma interrupted.  
"Ditto," Ryoga answered.  
  
Turning back to the man, Ranma said, "I don't have a bike, do you have any to hold?"  
"Sure, kid," the man replied, "We always do, it's over there by the race."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The three bikes were lined up, Akane's in the middle, Ranma's on her left, and some other guy named The Snake on her right. The crowd was extra large for this particular race since everyone heard of the legendary Fe-fe's race. Soon, tomorrow dozens of people will be able to brag to their friends on how they saw Fe-fe.  
  
Putting on her helmet, Akane asked, "Ready Ranma?"  
"Always," he said as he leaned on the bike he had. He didn't wear a helmet though, said he didn't need it.  
"Ready....set..." the announcer began but the riders were already off. Anyone raised on the streets would know that you don't wait for the word go before you do.  
  
Akane and Ranma soon lost The Snake as he put it and they raced side-by-side. Akane laughed to herself, her adrenaline building up. She hadn't felt this excited and wonderful with challenge for some time. Suddenly, this wasn't just a race for money anymore but a challenge to overcome. A challenge to outrun her past and future...all taking the embodiment of the boy she once loved so dear...and still loved? Questions were for later, for now, all she needed was to face the challenge and beat her heart and soul in this race.  
  
Turning her head over, Akane turned to look at Ranma. His pig-tail was flying in the wind, his dark gray-blue eyes intense and dancing with excitement. His long, lithe form was bent over the bike with concentration and he exuded confidence and power. He did what all great bikers knew, to make the bike a part of yourself, an extra limb to deal with. At that moment hope fluttered in Akane's heart, *...maybe he can be like me...be part of my world...and understand why I am what I am...what I am...maybe...maybe he could love me again...*  
  
Ranma turned to her then and smiled. Suddenly, blood washed from his face and terror struck his eyes.  
"Akane!" he shouted and Akane acted right away. If Akane had stopped for one second to think or turn around, it would have been too late. Instead, she maneuvered her bike perfectly, but it was still a slight off. A hard slam crashed the side of the motorcycle and sent Akane flying off of the bike. Her head hit the wall and she felt her sticky blood wash over her face. Blackness consumed her as she heard people calling her name. Yet, the only thing she realized at that moment was that she couldn't feel her legs at all...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: I am so evil.  
  
  



	9. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 8, Wings Clipped Off An Angel  
  
Author's Notes: And the winner is...this story! According to my poll, ya want to hear about this story the most so here it is. Okay, I was evil in that last chapter so I'll give ya a break and not give a cliffhanger this time. What?! I am! Fine, don't believe me then *snickers* Snickers? I'm hungry. Get it? Get it?! No? Ah, forget you then. Okay, let's just ignore those last couple of sentences. I'm serious, this chapter may not seem as long, but stay with me here. I still have finals! At least we get to go home right after we finish the test. And what happened to my guestbook and messgaeboard/forum thingy? Nobody's getting into those! *taps fingers impatiently* Okay, I'm going to stop talking now so you can enjoy the story. What?! I can stop talking if I want to! I can! See, I can stop tal-*curtain closes*  
  
WARNING! WARNING! *Red light flashes alarmingly* Hehe :), just some cuss words (including the F word) but if you can't handle that sort of thing then I suggest you not read this.  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. The psychotic pink bunny belongs to me. *Just seeing if you guys really read this stuff*  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
*Please, oh please don't let that be a crack I heard* Ukyo begged silently inside her head as she pushed the crowd away to kneel down beside her bleeding, unconscious friend. She stuck her hand behind Akane's neck and felt the sticky, still warm blood encase her hand in it's nauseating substance. But there was no crack. No broken bones. No broken neck.  
A little bit relieved, Ukyo took out her retractable pocketknife from under one of her shoes and with a swipe she cut off Akane's hair to her shoulders. She pulled up the rest of the dark blue-black hair and tore a piece out of the bottom of her shirt to tie around the bleeding cut. She proceeded to work efficiently, not letting her fear for the only one she ever considered a sister control and overwhelm her.  
  
Ukyo considered screaming at the crowd to call the ambulence...but she knew no one would...because with ambulences came police...and no one there would ever consider calling the poilce an option in any circumstance. Life-threatening or not.  
With a grunt Ukyo, pulled Akane's legs together and winced when she heard a *crunch*. Tearing her face away from Akane, the dark-haired girl looked at two stricken guys standing still in the crowd.   
  
"Ryoga! Ranma! Come help me pick Akane up!" she shouted and the bandanna- clad boy rushed over to help her but the other just stood there, appearing not to hear her. For a second Ukyo was frightened for Ranma.  
Ranma stood in the middle of the crowd, his hair out of place, his beautiful dark blue eyes dazed and wild...crazy. His lips were pale as was his face...pale...no blood...dead... his eyes trained on the lying bloody body of the girl in Ukyo's arms. For a second Ukyo was afraid for Ranma. For a second Ukyo actually had the irrational thought that all Akane's pain has somehow been transferred to Ranma and the blood around her wasn't Akanes'...but Ranma's. But it was only a second.  
  
With a snap of his head, Ranma ran over and took Akane out of Ukyo and Ryoga's arms, cradling her against him before jumping on a nearby building and heading for the hospital, everyone watching as he disappeared out of sight.  
Ryoga turned towards the pale girl in front of him and tried to give a weak smile, "For a situation like this, you acted great."  
"Ryoga," Ukyo said, her voice shaking as she turned her magnifcent dark brown, almost black eyes to his.  
"Yeah?" he asked her.  
"Catch me."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She was fine. She was fine. She was fine. She was going to be fine.  
He repeated this to himself in the long hallway outside of the hospital room they put his Akane in. His Akane. Yes, his Akane. His Akane. His Akane was inside that hospital room dying.  
No! No, he wasn't going to think like that. Akane wasn't going to die. She was strong. She was a fighter. Like him. He told himself this.  
But all he could see was the awful bright color of her blood oozing steadily out of her body...out of her head...and the way she had looked against Ukyo's arms...lifeless... helpless...  
  
His Akane.  
His Akane with the twinkling, warm eyes and fiery hot temper. His Akane with the dark blue-black hair and stubborn frown. Now lying attached to machines inside the hospital room.  
  
The hospital hallway was white...everything was white...the walls...the doctor's coats...the patients...all a dull, dreary, depressing white...a white that made the flashing color of red more apparent. They say black is the color of death. It's not. White is. Not the bright light kind of white...but the hopeless, pointless, dreadful white that make you think of dust and paneling.  
Kasumi and Tofu along with their kids sat on the long row of orange chairs lining the hallway. Who knew where Ryoga and Ukyo was. The only person left in the hallways was a little boy sitting cross-legged on the floor down the hall with nothing to play with.  
  
Ranma growled. He needed something to do. Someone to lash out on. Someone that isn't this unknown assailant that caused Akane to lie in that hospital bed.  
  
His cell phone gave a shrill ring and Ranma opened it as he growled out menacingly, "Your fired."  
"Um...b-b-boss...w-we...I m-mean...d-da...b-" a terrified voice said on the other end.  
"What is it?!"  
"We have ransacked one of the Scarlet Phoenix's biggest warehouses and got most of her followers, including one of her highest positioned person."  
  
Ranma turned to look down the hallway. The kid had found something to play with.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tenchi groaned as he felt the cold, ice water splash onto his body and awoke him from his unconscious state. His arms and hands were tied to the back of the chair, tight with thick rope that burned his skin. His feet were bound to the chair also and he knew without knowing that every and all weapons were tooken off of his body, leaving only his most vital clothing on. Tenchi strained his eyes to try and see inside the dark room but couldn't see anything. Yet, the prickling at the back of his neck told him that there were others inside the room. Standing. Waiting. And he guessed that they didn't want to ask him directions to Denver.  
  
One thing that the Scarlet Phoenix taught the boy was that under any stress you do not consent to the enemy. Silence is far better a weapon then any words can ever be. So Tenchi waited.  
And after awhile, a voice impatiently rang out, "So, what do you have to say?"  
"As the Americans put it, Fuck you," Tenchi spat out at the enemy. Because he knew that was what the squeaky high voice man was. An enemy.  
  
"Why you!" a thin, stocky man ran out grabbing Tenchi's collar and shaking his fist in front of his face. Tenchi knew what kind of person this guy was. He was the kind of guy that stepped on all the people below him and sucked up to all those above him. The kind that nobody liked.  
"Now, now, Yuri, don't harass the boy. Let him speak," a deep voice said from the shadows patiently and Tenchi shivered. *This must be the Blue Dragon...* thought the boy who never saw the Blue Dragon in his entire life.  
  
The man named Yuri let him go and Tenchi watched as from the shadows walked out a tall, imposing dark young man with dark black eyes and long dark black hair. The man wore a long white robe with strange designs on the sides and sleeves. *This is the Blue Dragon?* Tenchi thought rather stupidly. True, the man whose face was still hidden behind the shadows was scary but he wasn't the one that all children of the streets say struck fear in everyone's hearts.  
  
Tenchi had grown up on the streets, a scruffy kid with a chip on his shoulder and a mean streak in him. When he was 14 he heard of the Blue Dragon, the man who built himself out of nothing from nothing. The man or beast or kami or whatever they called him was a mystery, the boogie man of the streets so to speak. When he turned 16, through the connection of a deep trusted friend, Tenchi joined the Scarlet Phoenix's team. Now, the Scarlet Phoenix was just as mysterious as the Blue Dragon but deep inside every street boy's heart isn't a dream to be a 20-something *female* Boss. Jean Grey from the X-Men was all and good but the boys wanted to be Cyclops.  
  
Now, now after so long he finally meets the Blue Dragon...a man that doesn't even fit his terror and reputation. True he was scary...but anyone could be scary...no one could be the Blue Dragon though.   
  
The boy sighed in disappointment, even in this time of extreme danger. *I guess nobody could fit the description they had of the Blue Dragon...* he thought with regret. Sort of like one's childhood hero banished in the light of reality and adulthood. Comic book heroes belonged in comic books.  
"Now, let's make this more clear, shall we? What do you know of the Scarlet Phoenix?" the man in the shadows said in a clam, clear voice.  
"Why should I tell you?!" the kid spat out.  
"Believe me, I do not wish to harm her. In fact, I wish to side with her on certain issues-" the voice continued but Tenchi cut him in, "Yeah, and pigs fly. I'm young, you idiot, not stupid."  
  
The chain whipped out so fast that all Tenchi saw was a flash of metal before the so said metal wrapped itself tightly around his throat, dislodging him from the chair in which he was bound. You know how in movies you see a guy or girl getting choked and you get irritated at them because they don't scream? Yeah, well, Tenchi found out the hard way that they couldn't. His tongue lashed around wildly as he jumped up and down...but breath didn't come from out his throat...and no sound came out. *Okay, so this is what Spider-man felt like when Dr. Octupus strangled him...*  
"Now, you will tell me what you know about the Scarlet Phoenix," the guy in the shadows commanded evenly, coldly...insanely.  
  
Before Tenchi could get a word in edgewise he heard someone say from not to far away...a wall away, "C'mon, I saw the idiot Yuri and some guy drag one of our captives away. They're probably in the storage room."  
What happened happened in a flash. The metal chain retracted from around Tenchi's neck and he fell to the floor with a 'thump' just as a door burst open somewhere and 3 guys entered the room. The man of the shadows slipped back into the shadows and somehow disappeared as Yuri tried to explain to the guys that just entered on how he 'was just helping the captive along'. Silently, calling up all the skills that the Scarlet Phoenix had taught him, Tenchi wrapped his legs around Yuri's neck and banging his head hard on one of the three guy's head. The guy fell backwards onto the floor as the other two came towards him. With a grunt, he turned Yuri around sharply with his legs and bumped the older man into the wall, making him fall back unconscious. Turning around he stared at the two guys, his body poised for fight.  
  
But they didn't fight him. They just stood there, their arms folded across their chests as they smirked.  
"God ahead kid," one said as he angled his head, "The door's that way."  
Narrowing his eyes in mistrust, but not stupid enough to refuse the offer, Tenchi made a dash out of the room.  
  
"Think the Blue Dragon will be the one to find him or one of the guards?" Tony asked his buddy, but the other guy just smirked.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tenchi ran, just ran out of the building without a backward glance, as though death itself was on his tail...and in a way it was. Death was always on your tail when you worked for the Scarlet Phoenix.  
Once he neared the gates, the boy actually gave a smile...but the night was still young.  
  
Out from nowhere jumped a man that stopped right in front of Tenchi. Now, since this is a night for examples, you know how you don't even look at someone and yet their prescence is so strong...so powerful...that it makes you want to pee in your pants just by being near it? Of course not. You aren't Tenchi.  
  
The man in front of Tenchi was just about as tall as the man of the shadows inside the building before...only there was something different...a very great contrast between them... like a contrast between a leader and a follower. The man in front of Tenchi was all power, all strength, all ruthlessness and harshness. The kind of guy that can pick up a flower in a field of bunnies and rainbows...and yet still make your insides quiver with fright. He looks like the kind of guy that can look you in the face one second and break your neck the next without giving it a second thought. Yeah, he was one of a kind.  
Tenchi didn't have to look at his suit to know he had just come face-to-face with the Blue Dragon. Large, crystal clear blue eye contacts stared amusedly at him while dark long blue hair tied with a ribbon flew slightly with the breeze. He wore a dark black, blue suit that can easily be maneauvered in and a distinguishing dark blue dragon mask covered half of his face.  
  
*Now, all he needs is flying cape and a his own name-brand car* was Tenchi's only sane thought. The rest of his brain was screaming like a little 4 year-old girl on a rollercoaster. Well, the part that wasn't numb from shock and awe.  
  
Finally, the Prince of the Night (only one of his many names) asked in wry, deep confidant voice that could make Wolverine himself shudder, "Are you going to walk in yourself or will I have to use force?"  
"I have a gun," Tenchi bluffed.  
The Blue Dragon's eyes shone with a spark of strange humor and mild respect for the boy as he said, "And I have a kid standing in front of me who's bluffing. Now, the question is... do you feel lucky?"  
  
Tenchi's mouth dropped open. The Blue Dragon had actually used a movie example...and just like when Lois Lane first looked at Superman...the Blue Dragon had won Tenchi's eternal worship...  
"C'mon, kid, let's go back in," the Blue Dragon said and Tenchi nodded eagerly as he left.  
  
"Look's like we got ourself a new member, boys," Ranma said into his microphone.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She wasn't going to make it.  
That was all he could think about as he raced through the busy city. He had been busy drilling into that kid Tenchi with questions about the Scarlet Phoenix when he received the phone call on his cell phone from Ryoga after who knew how long. Ryoga only got 6 words in before Ranma dropped the phone and rushed out of the building, *Akane's not going to make it."  
  
That was his one thought as he raced ontop of the high city buildings, to those that saw him he was nothing but a fleeting wind.  
She wasn't going to make it.  
He could still see her smile at him...an innocent 16-year-old girl with flowing blue hair...an indignant Martial Artist after being saved yet again by her arrogant fiancee...a jealous fiancee pounding at him for letting Shampoo glomp him...a crying girl begging her boy to stay with her...  
...an unconscious woman who got too involved in her selfish ex-fiancee's life...  
  
She wasn't going to make it.  
He wanted to cry...he wanted to scream...he wanted to weep...but he wouldn't...  
Because as long as there was a 'she wasn't going to make it' she was still alive.  
And that was what kept him going on.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He landed softly through her window as he watched her pale form lay on the hospital bed, the wires and machines attched to her. His heart broke at seeing her cut, disorderly, sticky blue-black and slightly clumpy red hair on the bed. With a sigh, or what can be heard as a suffoctaed sob, Ranma slowly laid himself onto the large hospital bed next to her and wrapped himself in her warmth. He could have just imagined it, but he could have sworn he heard Akane give a sigh.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The numbness was easy to deal it, all darkness, no pain. In the darkness there was no Akane Vardishi, no Scarlet Phoenix, just Akane Tendo...and for once in her lifetime, Akane wanted to just stay in the dark and numbness. Yes, this time she'll just stay in the numbness. There was no reason to go back now...just pain...  
  
...ukyo?...who's ukyo...her mind had this name and it whispered around her... somehow she thought she should know...and maybe if she concentrated she could remember...but now's not the time for concentration...so the name ukyo was diminshed from her mind...  
...kasumi?...tofu?...family?...no...no...she didn't have family...what was family?... she was a wandering spirit...spirits don't have family...  
  
But after awhile the warmth was there and one name shot through her oblivious peace.  
Ranma.  
Ranma Saotome.  
And suddenly she wanted to wake up.  
Because Ranma was there.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akane groaned as she struggled to open her eyes...the hospital room was dark...and she knew what had happened. The motorcycle...the accident...Ranma...  
How was Ranma?  
Please don't let something happened to Ranma!  
  
She tried to sit up, but the pillow brought her down with a snap...more specifically...a hand closed around her mouth and yanked her back down onto the bed. Someone was in the bed with her. The person leaned over her with menacing eyes and Akane stared into her worse nightmare.  
  
The Blue Dragon.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: See, no cliffhanger. Now, who was observant to notice that guy with the chains? Huh? Huh? *nudge, nudge* :)  



	10. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon  
Chapter 9, A Liar's Revenge  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, so I've been gone forever and people have probably moved on with their lives to new writers but what can I say? Okay, so maybe that last chapter had a teensy weensy, baby of a cliffhanger. Short and sweet. Now, for those of you who figured out who the guy with the chain is, let's see if you can guess the reason why he's even in this story. Is he on the Scarlet Phoenix's side or the Blue Dragon's side? Only time will tell. Now, currently, I'm working on a one-shot called 'The Last Conquest' (maybe I'll change the name) and the next chapter to 'A Drop Of Blood' but the idea to the next chapter to this series just popped up so I had to write it. Now, I'm serious this time, I can't deal with a cliffhanger so there won't be (crowd glares distrustfully) there won't be! I'm just too tired to think of a nice cliffhanger. That makes up for the whopper in the last chapter, huh? Enjoy now. :)  
  
Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi (the genius creator of two of my other manga obsessions).  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
One thing Akane learned to do for years was how to think fast through tough situations. She learned how to accept a problem, dissect it, process it, then receive a solution. This was one of those many moments when this skill came in handy. The Blue Dragon. What was the Blue Dragon doing here? And where was here exactly? The motorcycle accident...she must be in the hospital but why would the Blue Dragon be in her hospital bed? The answer to that avoided her but she remembered something that Mel had taught her long ago. Never give anything away. She still had to keep the hope that the Blue Dragon didn't know her other identity.  
  
His hand was clamped over her mouth and Akane laid still as she tried to think of what to do. It was too dark to see what was the Blue Dragon's reaction. Then, deciding that it was better if she got a better hold on the situation, Akane raised her leg and jabbed the Blue Dragon in the stomach...hard. Obviously, he hadn't been expecting that from her because he rolled off the bed and with quick-as-lightening movements, Akane was off the bed too. By the time the Blue Dragon had gotten himself up to a standing position, Akane already had her body in the ready to fight mode.  
"Who are you?" she whispered hoarsly. Now, for the actress skills to come up. Quickly moving her face, Akane placed fear and shock in her eyes along with confusion.  
"Where am I?" she asked with a slight tremor in her voice. The Blue Dragon seemed to gain better standing at this. Good, as long as she was the scared innocent, she just might be able to get out of this scrape alive.   
  
*She doesn't know who I am? Wait...of course not...I'm the Blue Dragon right now. Damn it, Saotome, just get out of here and don't do anything stupid like letting her know who you are!* the boy lectured himself.  
"Akane Tendo, I presume?" he asked with a confidence he didn't feel. What was happening? He was the Blue Dragon and the Blue Dragon never got nervous.  
*Now, just the right touch of fear in your voice, Akane* she thought as she said, "H-How do you know? Who are you?!" It was a play...a role they both must play and the one who acted the best wins.  
  
With a quick breeze, he was beside her with his hand under her chin and a wicked smile on his face.  
"Do you know who I am, Akane?" he asked softly and Akane had to resist from physically removing his hand from under her chin. Patience was a virtue, after all.  
Ranma grinned to himself. Now, naturally Akane would answer that she didn't know who he was and then he would make a mysterious comment before disappearing out the window. This was going to be simple and nothing had to be revealed. Now, any writer can tell you that inspiration can strike at the oddest of moments. This was one of the moments where Akane received an idea that she deemed one of her best. Well...at least she didn't regret it...yet...  
  
Latching onto the Blue Dragon's arm,s he turned large, hopefull eyes to his before asking in a quivering voice, "Are you...Are you who I think you are? Are you the Blue Dragon?"  
Quite taken aback, Ranma growled out, "How do you know who I am?"  
Akane added the exact amount of excitement into her eyes before gushing out, "Oh my goodness! It is you! The legendary Blue Dragon! How do I know you? How can you ask me that? I've researched on you...took so many risks just to be able to find you. Only you can help me, Blue Dragon. Please, you can not refuse." *What is she talking about?* Ranma wondered in shock and a little fear. The tables had turned and Akane seemed to be the one leading the show now.  
"What are you talking about?" he asked crossly for he had missed tha glint in Akane's eyes.  
Making her eyes water with a trick she learned some time ago by staring into space for a few seconds then rolling her eyes slowly, Akane whispered, "Oh please, I know you're terrible and everyone says you're cold-hearted, but please! You have to help me! I've spent so, so many years looking upon things about you. The minute I heard about you I knew you were the one to help me. Oh please, sir!"  
  
Ranma's eyes misted over slightly as he questiopned softly, "What do you want from me?" To him it was a question that he always wanted to know from this girl. What did she want from him? Why was she always on his mind for all these years, refusing to budge from her spot in his heart? How much more pain was she willing to inflict on him before being satisfied. To her, it was a question from her mortal enemy. It was one not just questioning her plea but her sanity and her desires as well. *What do I want from you?* she though mockingly in her head *I want your heart, your soul...but most of all...I want your death, Blue Dragon...*  
Yet, Akane settled with a simple, pained, "I want you to help me kill the Scarlet Phoenix." To say the Blue Dragon was taken aback was to say Ranma 1/2 was just another anime. Some things just aren't meant to be put that lightly.  
  
"What?!" he exclaimed before he could stop himself. *How does Akane know about the Scarlet Phoenix...how does she even know about the Blue Dragon... And why in the world doers she want to kill the Scarlet Phoenix.   
"Why?" he asked, truly confused. His answer came soon enough.  
"That bitch killed my sister!" Akane cried, her voice dripping with venom and hate,   
"I...I had a sister...one that was a year older then me. Nabiki Tendo. W-w-when...ma-my father died...she came to the city to try and support me and Kasumi...but...nobody knows this but me. She was killed. Killed by that damn Scarlet Phoenix because she owed her a debt. Nobody knew she was murdered...they didn't even know she left to try and support us. Everybody thought Nabiki abandoned me and Kasumi...but she didn't! She was murdered... slaughtered like an animal!" At this Akane broke down and sobbed into her hands as she pretended to try and pull herself together. *'Always go all the way'* Mel's voice from a memory long ago said fleetingly in her mind *'either don't do it but when you do you have to go all the way. Going only half-way will only succeed in getting you killed'*  
  
Ranma instantly felt a blow to his abdomen....though it wasn't a physical one. He was wrong. He had been wrong. The Blue Dragon's information source had been wrong. All the information he gathered from Akane's life after he left...it had so many holes in it...and the part about Nabiki abandoning her and Kasumi...he thought that had been true. *But she kept it a secret* his mind insisted earnestly *She was the only one that knew of Nabiki's death by the Scarlet Phoenix and if she didn't tell anyone there was no way for anyone to know. You aren't wrong.* Yet, inside Ranma felt uneasy.  
"The Scarlet Phoenix killed your sister?" he rasped out just to make sure he hadn't heard wrong.  
"Yes!" the girl cried vehemently, her shoulder shaking uncontrollably. Ranma had to physically restrain himself from taking her into his arms and stop her tears.  
  
Soon, it seemed as if Akane managed to control her shaking and cries as she straightened and looked Ranma straight in the eyes. The pain and hate he saw there staggered him.  
Knowing that if she overdid it, it would only disguest the Blue Dragon, Akane stopped her fake cries and said with a good measure of hate in her voice, "The reason I moved here was to avenge my sister, but the Scarlet Phoenix was too powerful. Nobody dared fight her...but then I heard of you, Blue Dragon. You...your so much more powerful then her...you have to help me kill her! Please!" She didn't really expect him to agree to help her, the Blue Dragon was known for his cold heart and ruthlessness. He didn't disappoint.  
"No," Ranma said, his voice calm and resolute, the exact opposite of what he felt at that moment. If it was anyone else, he would have felt more compassion...probably would give them a small job in his 'corporation' once they proved loyal and worthy, but not Akane. There was no way he was going to let his innocent Akane get messed up with the dark side of his life. There was no way he was going to risk having her find out his true identity. And there was no way he was going to risk the Scarlet Phoenix being able to attack on his girl.   
  
Not really that surprised at all, Akane made her eyes register shock as though she was really expecting him to have some warmth in that heart of his.  
"But won't you-" she began and he cut her off, his crystal eyes threatening, "No. Now, go to sleep, Akane Tendo and let the past be the past." With a flick of his wrist, he hit a point on Akane's neck and knocked her unconscious. His arms wanted to reach out and catch her as she fell...but he didn't...because he w as the Blue Dragon now...and the Blue Dragon don't catch helpless girls when they fall.  
Reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone, Ranma dialed Ryoga's number.  
After the pig-boy picked up with a muffled, "Hey, what's sup?" Ranma told him to call Ukyo and bring her to the hospital to visit Akane.  
  
Ryoga groaned in the phone and asked, "What did you do this time, Ranma?"  
"Nothing," the Blue Dragon said quickly as he stared at the unconscious girl at his feet, "Just bring Ukyo to visit Akane. Tell her you got a bad feeling and just wanted to see if Akane was okay."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"So, how did you and Akane get together? I mean, I thought you hated her guts," Ryoga commented offhandly. That was one thing that he had in common with Ranma...the ability (or fault) of saying whatever popped into his head.   
Ukyo looked up at him, her champagne eyes mocking, "How did *you* and Ranma get together? I thought you hated his guts. Things change Ryoga and you know it."  
Ryoga gave her a goofy smile before turning his head back to face the metal doors of the elevator. After getting the strange (yet not rare) phone call from Ranma, the pig-boy had called Ukyo up and asked her to come visit Akane with him. He told her he had gotten a bad feeling. Apparently, Ukyo understood the importance of instinct because she came right over to meet him at the main hospital door. The elevator opened with a 'ding' and the two wolves dressed in sheepskin walked passed the nurse's desk to room 342. Ukyo put her hand on the doorknob to open the door but suddenly, another hand clkosed on hers.  
  
Looking up she stared in question at Ryoga's gaze.   
"What?" she asked.  
"Ukyo, I-" he started and for a second something flickered through his eyes that scared the other girl slightly.   
Her eyes hardening slightly, she said in a warning tone, "Remember what I said, Ryoga...people change." With that she turned the doorknob and opened the door. Her hand flickering to a switch on the wall, the brown-haired girl turned on the lights and a large object on the floor caught the corner of her eye. Looking down, the girl gasped in shock as she rushed over to her friend. *What did you do, Ranma?* Ryoga thought before rushing out of the room to get the nurses.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
(Two hours later)  
Ukyo stood outside, in the front of the hospital building. Cars came this way and that in front of her as a strong wind passed by, shuffling her hair. She was out here to clear her head...to try and understand what Akane had been trying to tell her. It just wasn't possible! It was ludacris! It was stupid! *...it's perfect...* she thought, the fighter side of her kicking in. The idea was so utterly simple and perfect that she wondered why they hadn't thought of it before. *...because it's too perfect...* Ukyo's ever rational mind chirped *...too simple...we were all thinking too complicated...we needed to think more simple...* But...but this idea was just crazy! It was taking too many risks too fast. If they succeeded, then the defeat of the Blue Dragon would be easier then batting an eyelash...but if they failed...if Akane failed...  
...Ukyo gave another shiver, but this time...there was no wind...  
  
*Don't think of that!* Ukyo scolded herself. Akane was a fighter, after all...she was the leader...she knew what she's doing...most of the time. Frustrated, Ukyo raked a shaking hand through her straight, brown hair (the kind of hair that they put on for those shampoo commecials). *Not like Akane's hair* the though crossed fleetingly in the woman's mind. No, Akane's hair would never get on any shampoo commercials, not to say that it was not neat...it was just too...wild. With that thought returned the one of Akane's...no the Scarlet Phoenix's crazy plan again...because if Akane only used her rational mind, she would not have thought of that. *...and what in the world made her think of that anyway?*   
Ukyo's hands opened and closed as they itched for the giant spatula of her younger years. She needed to hit something! Anything! With an angry and agitated shout, she grabbed her purse and wrapped the strap around her fist, heading the fist towards the cement sidewalk. She didn't care who saw...she just needed to get the confusion out now. Confusion, annoyance and anger would only get you killed in her line of work. She learned that the day she joined Akane. If one wants to stay at the top, one must always...*always* kep one's cool. It's like a domino effect, one emotion just leads to another.  
  
The ground broke under her fist and the cement cracked as Ukyo's anger flowed out with it. Her body suddenly felt weak and drained as her knees gave up. The girl who believed her best friend was a maniac, started to wobble. *This is not good...* she thought as her face paled and her body felt too heavy for it's own good. Suddenly, it was too much...the weight....the confusion...everything and Ukyo just gave up and leaned backwards. *Oh well* she thought *I'm in front of a hospital...somebody's bound to come and get me...* But Ukyo didn't go back inside the hospital that day...and her body never reached the ground.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Lady watched in amusement as Sandy argued with the driver up in the front seat of the limo. The girl really had spirit, now all she needed was to learn to let the Lady go and get herself a husband. The Lady, also known as Melpomene to some, turned her magnificent head to stare out the window that was only one way. The woman who was a decade older then she looked truly was magnificent. She was pushing forty and looked like a young 20-something year old with great cosmetic tecniques. In truth, the Lady never wore that much make-up...she believed it was a fake confidance one puts on oneself. The Lady gave a dry, inward laugh as she thought of that. Of course, she doesn't have a right to speak with her looks.   
"What did you do? Find the fountain of youth?" someone had asked her once.  
"Something like that," she had answered with that enigmatic smile of hers. She hadn't been lying...she had found something very similar to the fountain of youth...and that something was the Wakai tecnique...something she was required to learn when she had been four.  
  
Lately, she's been able to slow the tecnique down, to stop it from keeping her eternally young. Not to say that the tecnique would keep one immortal, oh no, it just means you get to keep your youth. The Lady didn't want that, she wanted life to run it's natural course and so she learned to slow the tecnique down and keep her aging.  
Suddenly, a sign of a shop caught her eye in large letters, 'Ruki's Nail Salon.'  
The Lady's heart lurched and she swallowed as she leaned against the leather seat. The woman closed her eyes and gulped as she tried to stop her shaking fingers. *No...no...* she thought. Coincidence, it was just a coincidence...  
...but if there was something she learned in this world...was that there was no such thing as coincidence...  
  
The voice invaded her mind just like she knew it would. The presence of the other mind slowly entering her own and stretching itself as if it had come home. The Lady paled and started to shake. Her breathing became shorter and shorter as she tried to pull in more gulps of air. A weird thought that she would just stop and die here from lack of air crossed her mind briefly. Then the voice and the presence spoke.  
{{...ruki-girl...ruki-girl...won't you come home...ruki-girl...ruki-girl...won't you come home to me...}}  
*Leave me alone!* she cried in her mind, but it was no longer just her mind. As it had been since the day she could remember...her mind was no longer just hers...and it no longer just obeyed her.  
{{...oh, come now, ruki-girl...you know you can't just run away...now tell your lattle driver to stop his car and meet me half way...}}  
The Lady stopped her shaking as the slow realization came to her as it always had before. She *wasn't* scared...never was and never would be of this person. Her eyes opened and she looked at Sandy who had climbed into the backseat and was trying to shake her to ask what was wrong.  
  
"Stop the car, Taka," she said and although Taka shot her a worried glance in the rear-view mirror, he did what she asked. Nobody questioned The Lady's authority, nobody questioned her period. It was just an unspoken rule and law in the clan.  
The Lady opened the door and stepped out, her radiant, dark brown hair shining like caramel in the sun. Sandy grabbed The Lady's hands and the young girl's eyes were pleading along with puzzled.  
"Mother, don't-" she began but the look the The Lady's eyes kept her quiet.  
Patting her daughter's hand once, The Lady pulled it away and said, "I'll be fine, you two just stay in the car. With slow, confidant steps, she strided down a few blocks to the 'Ruki's Nail Salon'. She had some unfinished business to take care of.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The alleyway behind 'Ruki's Nail Salon was deserted except for a large, metal garbage bin/box and other junk. There was a metal door closed shut attached to the back of the building but The Lady payed it no mind. She knew he was here, knew he was watching her and she didn't even bat an eyelash. The Lady wasn't afraid of him, it wasn't arrogance or bluffing, it was just the plain and simple truth. She wasn't afraid of him and she never will be... she was the only one that wasn't. The Lady, called Mel, just stood there with her arms at her sides, not moving or showing any signs of nervousness...she could wait him out, she always did before. After awhile, he appeared behind her and no other person on the planet would have had the ability to notice but her.  
  
Turning around to face him, she raised her eyes slowly to absorb the whole scene. He was wearing a dark suit...dark blue...his trademark. His face held no mask (he didn't need it, they were all too afraid of him) and his large, crystal blue eyes shone with the intensity always in them. Mel always found it an ironic twist of fate that such a dangerous person be born with kitten, blue eyes that seemed to just scream innocent. *Innocent, ha! That's funny...* Everybody that ever met him though they were contacts...people simply weren't born with eyes of that color. His hair was an unruly mass of pitch black and Mel used to remember days when she had to physically restrain herself from not touching it. Those days were over now...or she tried to convince herself.  
She wondered a lot of things about him now, but most of all, she wondered if he still had that dragon scar on his left shoulder, just a few inches from the beginning of his arm. Of course he would...that would always be there.  
  
Finally, the man spoke, "Hello, Ruki-girl." His voice was warm...nobody heard that tone of voice but her...It hurt...to hear his voice now, so sweet and soft.  
"I'm not Ruki-girl," she managed to rasp out at last, her eyes burning but no wetness there. He smiled that ever complacent smile of his as he walked over towards her.  
"Of course you are. Changing your name doesn't change who you are, Ruki-girl. You told me that once, remember? You're still Ruki. Still innocent, naive Ruki that loves everyone but me," he said and this time there was a hard edge in his voice. Ruki swallowed as he started to circle her...suddenly she wasn't The Lady anymore, sophisticated, feared lader... but little Ruki, smiling and laughing in the woods. Little Ruki again with her wild braids and flying soul. Little Ruki again, needing only her Tasukin to survive.  
  
"Tasukin, you can't do this," she said calmly, her voice sweet like ink and white clouds. By this time he had stopped circling and put a hand in her warm hair.  
"Do what, Ruki-girl?" he asked. His voice was so sweet, so innocent...and so are was it like that that for a second she thought of changing her mind...but she didn't. It hurt her but she said the words that must be said.  
"I'm not going with you, Tasu-chan," she said and immediatly she felt the change go through him. *No...no...* her mind sobbed but she could do nothing to change it. She was no longer Ruki...she was the The Lady again. Mel started to back awya from him and the hate and fury in his eyes pained her like nothing ever would, but with it came her own anger as well. They did this every time and every time it was the same. Tasukin couldn't be so selfish... she couldn't just leave her life and follow him to live in some remote place.  
  
"I told you this before, Tasukin, there is no way you can change my mind," and with that she started to leave the dead-end allwayway.   
When she was almost around the corner she heard a cold voice say, "I heard you have a certain pet bird in this city, Ruki. This one isn't like the others, though, is she? She's special and you know it...she's also your favorite student. I can see why, the girl does have fire and talent. A very cute pet birdie, no?"  
Stopping in her tracks, Mel said, "I don't know what you're talking about."  
A loud laugh was her answer.  
"Oh, but I know you do, Ruki-girl," the voice continued on, "You musn't foget, we share a bond, thanks to the great master. I know everything about you, Ruki-girl, all your secrets and all your fears. Now, this new pet bird...she's not just another pet, is she? She's almost like a daughter to you...a sister."  
  
"What do you want, Tasukin?" Mel asked, her voice a steel edge now. She was The Lady.  
"You know what I want, Ruki," he answered.  
Mel sighed and said, "You know I can't do that, Tasu-chan. I can't go with you."  
"Why?" the man in blue spat out, "Bceause you have your 'lost children' to save, Ruki? Well, guess what, I think it's time for a little game to begin and it's going to involve your pet birdie, Scarlet Phoenix. I have students too, Ruki, and some of these students would love nothing better then to kill your little bird. Won't this be fun? Bye bye for now, Ruki, I'll see you again. You can count on it."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Raye Mizuno popped her gum as her well manicured nails clicked on the keyboard. Ms. Vashidi hadn't come in today but she had learned long agao that things like this wasn't rare. Akane Varshidi had a habit of not appearing for work one or two days then come back with some lame excuse. It didn't matter, it just meant less work for her. Being the secretary of a multi-millionaire was not a simple thing to be. Suddenly, the shrill sound of the phone rang, making Raye jump. She really had to get the guys down in repairs to fix that thing and turn down the ringer.  
Picking it up, she said, "Hello, Akane Varshidi's office, what can I do for you?"  
A cultured, female voice said, "Yes, I'm here on behalf of my client who would like to make an appointment with Ms. Varshidi about some business."  
"Name please," Raye said as she popped her gum again.  
"My name is Catalyn Ramon and my client's name is Natalie Tanson," the voice on the other line said.  
"Okay, and what business does Ms. Tanson want with Ms. Varshidi?" Raye asked in her mundane way.  
  
"I'm sorry but Ms. Tanson wants to keep it strictly confidentail. Can you just squeeze in a meeting?" Raye put the phone between her shoulder and ear as she searched through her desk for the planner of Ms. Varshidi's dates.  
"I'm afarid Ms. Varshidi won't be free until the late week of next month," the secretary said.  
"That will be fine, thank you," and then all Raye could hear was the dial tone. A few hours later that phone call slipped her mind.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
(One week later)  
The door to one of Ranma's many offcies burst open as a panting Ryoga burst in. Ranma looked up from his paperwork to shoot an annoyed glance at his best friend before continuing again. Growling, Ryoga walked over and grabbed the paperwork before throwing it over his shoulder.  
"Hey!" the guy shouted in anger as he stood up.  
The once bandanna-wearing boy just shrugged it off before saying, "Ranma you would not believe what has happened! I mean, geez! How-? Why-?" Then, Ryoga stopped himself and grabbed Ranma's hand as he dragged him out the door.  
"Just follow me, you need to see this."  
  
Half-way through thew car drive, Ranma knew they were heading towards one of the smaller West warehouses. It was one of the little parts of his business that didn't need his overlooking that much. He knew better then to ask the agitated, wired out Ryoga though. Even Blue Dragons die in car accidents. Once in front of the warehouse, Ryoga brought the car to a screeching halt before getting out and dragging Ranma with him. They took the back doorway and soon Ranma found himself in the surveillence room where over a dozen tiny, black and white t.vs were.  
Finally, having enough, Ranma pulled his arm out of Ryoga's grip and asked in annoyance, "Now what?"  
Giving his best friend a grim smile, the pig-boy pointed to one of the mini-survelleince t.vs and said, 'Look there."  
  
Ranma did and his mouth fell open as shock shook through his body. This was not happening...there was no way at all that it was. *It's just a dream* he told himself but he knew it wasn't. It was reality...and it was his worst nightmare.  
  
Akane Tendo stood in room 34 of the warehouse, a hard look in her eyes and a hand on her hip. Her dark blue hair, cut short by Ukyo during the accident and fixed by Kasumi afterwards to look like her old style, was under a black bandanna with two front hairs showing. She wore some grungy jeans and a white-shirt.  
A man from the warehouse walked over to her with a clipboard and asked, "What do you want, kid?"  
Giving the man a hard smile, she answered, "A job."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Author's Notes: I told you all I was too tired for a cliffhanger. Hopefully, you'll still want the next chapter even without it. Now, who remember's who Natalie Tanson is? :) 


	11. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Chapter 10, I hate you, Ranma Saotome

Author's Notes: You know what? To all the people who don't like my stories (that's beginning to include me) please don't read them. I really am a bad writer and this is really good practice for me say if I want to go professional or something in the far future. The reviews and e-mails are really wonderful and helpful from my readers...but if you don't like my stories, please just do me a huge favor and press the back button. Snort in disgust at the utter simplicity and horrible writing and then forget about it. I write the way I write and I'm really trying to improve, but it really doesn't help if there's someone there criticising me along the way (and yes I noted that I spelled criticizing wrong). Believe me, criticism can be such a *big* help if you *know* the person criticizing you really, truly wants you to get better instead of just saying it for the heck of saying it. Now, I know *somebody* is just going to e-mail me and say something like 'if you can't take it then don't write.' Just...for my benefit...criticize if you actually have a mild interest in my stories and want me to get better...don't do it because my story sucks and you have nothing better to do. On that note, I already wrote the last chapter to Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon. Now, I just need to fill in the chapters from this chapter until that one.

Discliamers: Ranma 1/2 does not belong to me, it belongs to that great lady Rumiko Takahashi. Blame her for my addiction (not that I'm complaining :) ).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, Link! Come over here! This kid says she wants a job!" the man shouted across the room to his partner. The shout was loud enough for everyone to hear and as the other man ran over, Akane could feel all of their eyes boring into her.

"A job, huh? What would a sweet thing like you want a job for?" Link asked as he gave her a look up and down. Link wasn't a stupid man, he had been in the business far longer then any of them had and his words held more meaning then it then what it seemed. It was-

*-a test* Akane realized. Her mouth hardened, but she refused to move her hands from their place at her side. Crossing your arms or putting them on your hips in a situation like this was worst then fidgeting. It was showing your nervousness.

"You got two things wrong, *Link*," she said, putting emphasis on his name. "One, I don't answer questions from those who can't fire shout worth anything and two, I'm anything but sweet." The crowd snickered slightly and if this was an elementary school room the sounds of 'oohs' would be heard.

Link grinned amusedly at the girl for a second before asking, "Good point, but what makes you think we'll give you a job?"

"Because I know about the Blue Dragon," Akane said plainly. In the next second, Link had his arm around Akane's neck, cutting off her air supply and a knife up to her cheek.

"What do you know?" he growled out.

Pushing down her anger and fury at being treated so, Akane reminded herself that this was all part of the initiation. *It better be* she thought.

"Enough to benefit me but not enough to harm any of you," the girl said. Link seemed to contemplate this for a moment before letting her go, a large grin growing on his face. 

"You're a good kid," he said. 

Tucking an uneven hair behind her ear, Akane replied dryly, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Oh but it is a compliment..." Then, after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Queen."

Giving him a half smile, the girl newly renamed Queen remarked, "Sort of flattering, don't you think?"

"I know what's right for each person and you my dear are definitely a Queen. In the worst sense of the word."

Akane stared at him for awhile, trying to decipher the hidden insult behind those words. She was obviously in...but did he approve of her or not was still a matter of question. Link, there was something behind this guy that she couldn't quite place...something too familiar for comfort. Something about a boy...training with her...laughing with her...another student of Mel's. No! It couldn't be...because if it was, he would have recognized her by now. Maybe he had.

She had to try him to be sure. Life was really just one big gamble after all. You either won or you lost...and if you lost...the game really didn't matter that much in the first place anyway...because if it did... you would have won.

"You didn't even change your name, Link," she said softly, her eyes a contrast to her words, hard and unyielding. He had turned his back from her, intending to walk away but now he stopped. For awhile, Akane couldn't gauge what he would do...what he would say. She had known many people in her life but few had been quite as unpredictable as Link. Sometimes, during her training under Mel...she had worried for him...worried that he would turn to the wrong side. Now, remembering who she worked for...Akane wondered if he already hadn't.

Link turned around and that mocking grin was on his face again.

"We shall say the same for you...Fe-fe," he said calmly before turning around to walk away again.

"Michael, I changed my mind. The girl's name is Fe-fe now. Give her all the info she needs for the next two months. Take any suggestions she has and listen to her. I don't care what she says...just follow it..." he said over his shoulder.

"You trust me that much, Link?" the blue-haired girl asked, knowing that he didn't. Just like t he others, he would monitor everything she did. That's how it was in the clan. You don't trust anyone...but you must trust everyone.

"Not on your life, Fe-fe, but Mel would have my head if she knew I did anything to her favorite." With that he departed and left her to the sharks that was known as the followers of the Blue Dragon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You can put the gun down now, Ryoga, she's already left," the Blue Dragon said to his friend.

Grinning, the so-called 'pig-boy' did so. 

"Just making sure you don't reveal our secrets and order our doom a few years early, Ranma," Ryoga said in an amused tone.

Glaring murderously at his friend, Ranma said in what could almost be called a pouting voice, "I wasn't really going to cut him up and deliver him to Happosai for dinner, you know. It was just a comment."

Looking blandly at the other boy, Ryoga said, "Riiight...and I'm supposed to believe this because... why? Sorry, Ranma, if I hadn't pulled out my gun, you would have been out that door right now and our whole cover would have been blown because of your stupid anger."

"It wasn't stupid!" Ranma said as he looked over the place where Akane had been and was now gone. "Did you see what he did to her?"

"Sorry to be the one to tell you this but living in this city, I'm sure Akane have gone through worse." Seeing Ranma's shocked and horror-filled face, Ryoga groaned. "Anyways, Blue Dragon, what did you think about that whole scene at the end? Fe-fe? Mel? What was that all about? Do you think the two know each other?"

Not turning around, Ranma continued to look down at the 34th warehouse. Something was nagging at him. His instincts told him that some major scene had just occurred and he had missed it.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, what did you say?" the pig-tailed boy said as he turned around. 

Throwing his hands up in the air in a mock fashion, the once bandana-clad boy said, "I don't know why I bother!"

"Come one, pig-boy," Ranma said putting an arm around Ryoga's shoulder and leading him out the door. "We'll think of something...I'm sure...we'll think of something."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The woman known as Natalie Tanson stepped out of the plane terminal and breathed in the good sight that was her homeland...Japan. The people were wonderful, the people were wonderful...and the family...

*...is going to kill me...* she thought wryly, anticipating and yet dreading her reunion with the people she lost. *...more like threw away...* that little, treacherous voice whispered again. As much as she tried, she could never get rid of that voice. She hoped it would leave after this trip.

There were so many things she needed to do. She needed to talk to her sisters again, apologize and explain. Yet, there was still something she had to do before she reconciled with the living.

She had to deal with the dead.

She had to deal with her father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kasumi sat beside her father's gravestone and arranged the flowers like she did every first of the month. She cleaned his gravestone, cut the weeds surrounding it and brought fresh flowers every chance she could. Sitting with her legs under her, she smiled softly as she told her father of what had been going on.

"...and Akane still leads that large company. She went and joined the Blue Dragon's group and I don't know what to do, daddy. I wish you were here to tell me. I know Akane will find herself in the end, but I can't help worrying for her. What if she goes to far and doesn't come home one day? What will I do without her? Tofu is wonderful, he knows who I am and doesn't ask me what I know. It's sort of funny if you think about it. Akane really has become such a great success, hasn't she father? It's just so sad that she has to lie about who she is. I know my little sister herself is confused. She's built too many false characters, the Scarlet Phoenix, Akane Vardisi, and Fe-fe...she isn't sure about who she is anymore. I really hope Ranma can help her find herself, daddy...otherwise...well..."

At this, the beautiful woman sighed sort of sadly and whispered a good-bye to her father, followed by a promise to return again soon.

{Two hours later}

Akane stood impassively in front of her father's grave. The dull ache was there, throbbing inside her...but not a fraction of as painful as it had been. She wasn't learning to let go, exactly, since she would never be able to let him go...but she was in the process of accepting the pain so that it was no longer pain anymore. She never brought anything on these rare visits to her father's grave...only herself and her heart. She hasn't forgotten, but she's learned to forgive him for leaving...and with that forgiveness came her greatest listener. During these moments and visits, she poured her heart out to him and then felt silly for talking to a piece of marble. Yet, she still continued to come back and spill it out again.

"I don't have a lot to say this time, daddy. Just that I know something's about to happen. I met Link again and it's sort of heartbreaking to. I mean, he and I were never that close under Mel's training but we still had been members of the same clan...and he given the choice he would rather choose the Blue Dragon over the Scarlet Phoenix. I'm sure if he knew I was the Scarlet Phoenix, he would have joined with me...but he didn't...and so he chose the Blue Dragon. Do you know what that means, daddy? Link has always had a perspective eye and very good at judgment...so when he compared the two strengths of my side and the Blue Dragon's, he chose the other. Now...I'm a little unsure...and doubtful. Does this mean the Blue Dragon really is stronger then me? Well, I have to leave, daddy...busy schedule, you understand. I'll come back if I can...but if you don't see me again soon...you'll know what happened."

With that she kissed her fingers softly and placed it on the top of the gravestone. Turning around, she walked away.

{Two hours later}

The woman hesitantly walked toward the gravestone. It had been so long when she had been here...so many years. How many times have she had nightmares about this place? About her father rising from his grave and haunting her for abandoning her sisters? Natalie Tanson was rich and powerful woman and everyone accepted her...but would he? Would a man who had been gone for so long take back the daughter that didn't have the strength her sisters and mother had?

Slowly, Natalie walked until she was in front of the gravestone. Then...

...then she remembered.

She remembered the brave man that loved his family so and was devastated by the lost of his wife. 

She remembered the way she always thought she was taking care of him when he really took care of her.

She remembered...how love is forgiveness.

With a sob, Nabiki Tendo collapsed in front of her father's grave and cried out years of pain and loneliness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mousse stared down at the letter in his hand. How could this letter possibly be true? Surely it wasn't. He had went outside his hotel room when he saw this letter sitting on the floor with nothing written on the front envelope. Knowing to be precautious, he had checked it before opening it and reading what was inside. The note was simple and elegantly written yet how could it possibly be true? It would help him gain his revenge on the Blue Dragon, but...no, there were no buts. Somewhere, deep inside him, Mousse's warrior instincts told him what the contents of the letter said was true.

This was the letter:

You seek the Scarlet Phoenix. She is Akane Tendo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was night when Akane arrived at her mansion. The servants were gone already and she was way too exhausted by the day's events. Turning on the lights, she walked into the old room Ukyo had dubbed 'the old parlor', she dropped her purse on a chair and plopped down onto a chair. Sighing, she closeehr eyes for some much needed rest.

Instantly, her eyes opened as she sensed it. Someone was in the room with her. Someone with the ability to fight. 

Not moving a muscle, she said casually, "Come out. I know you're there. No use in hiding in the shadows."

The figure grinned as he stepped from the shadows.

"It's been a long time, Akane Tendo," he said. "Or is it the Scarlet Phoenix now." Shocked by what the stranger knew, Akane moved her eyes to look at him and the sight of the familiar person shocked her down to the core.

"Mousse!" she gasped out as she stood up.

The full sight of her person made the warrior hesitate a little. He didn't remember her like this. In fact, to be truthful, he hadn't remembered her much at all. During the time that he knew her, she had just been Ranma's fiancee. A girl that he could use to gain Ranma's attention and help him win Shampoo. He didn't remember those large brown eyes...or that blue hair that flickered in the light. He certainly didn't remember her being quite so beautiful. Wait! That wasn't right! He loved Shampoo...would always love Shampoo...but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate a beautiful woman. He had never noticed anyone before Shampoo's death and he hadn't noticed anyone after...but...

"Hello, Akane," he said, trying to sound calm. 

That jolted the shock out of Akane and reminded her of his earlier words.

Giving him a look that could kill...or freeze someone, she questioned, "What do you know?"

"Only that you are the Scarlet Phoenix and that we have a common enemy."

"Who?" the girl asked out, still suspicious of the other's motives. She didn't know the guy, for goodness sakes, and the time that she did, he hadn't done much to recommend himself. What with trying to kill Ranma and marry Shampoo and all.

"The Blue Dragon. I'm here to propose an alliance. One that will benefit the both of us. You give me access to your clan and I'll help you get rid of the Blue Dragon...for good."

"Why do I have to believe you? What have you got to offer me, Mousse? I already know how to fight," Akane said. A spark of something glimmered suddenly in Mousse's eyes. 

"Ah yes, of course. However, I know some things that you don't, Scarlet Phoenix. Things that would help you win and end this thing once and for all."

"What things?" the girl asked.

A slow smile crept up Mousse's face as he said, "Things like the Blue Dragon's identity."

Akane's eyes suddenly flashed then and Mousse had to step back from the jolt it gave him. It was as though a giant fire had just blazed before his very eyes and he was helpless to control it.

"Really..." the Scarlet Phoenix said as she slowly approached Mousse until they were only inches apart.

"Who is the Blue Dragon?"

Seeing the glimmer of hope and expectation in her eyes, Mousse almost regretted his next words. Almost.

"The Blue Dragon is..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...and in the next moment...a few say...Mu Tsu killed the last remnants of Akane Tendo...

...and somewhere hidden deep within the shadows outside of the city, Tasukin grinned...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: Eh...don't kill me?


	12. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Chapter 11, Broken Heart, Broken Soul

Author's Notes: See, this story's not done yet. I was working on Sha-Rela when I decided to hurry up and dish the next chapter out to SP, BD (don't question my thought process, darnnit!). One more note. This fic isn't about whether or not Ranma and Akane love each other. That's a given. This is about whether that love could save them from their own selves and believe me, it does not look good. Maybe I need one fic where they just don't end up together. What do you think? So, here it is, folksarinos. Go! Go! Ra! Ra! Er....just read the story...

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Definitely not me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sky was as dark as ink as it stretched over everything like some kind of skin. The Blue Dragon stood waiting in the shadows as the other approached. The other was a man with hard, dead eyes and a dragon scar over his shoulder. The two met and the air around them was dead.

It was quite obvious that the Blue Dragon loathed this man very, very much and would rather have him lying dead on the floor than in front of him.

It was also obvious that the Blue Dragon respected this man as much as he hated him.

"Hello," the Blue Dragon greeted, his voice neither cool nor warm.

The man gave a half smirk. It was cruel whether he intended for it to be or not.

"What happened to sensei? What happened to master?" 

"You stopped being that when I went through the last trial," the Blue Dragon answered.

"Names change, huh? Then, what do I call you now?" the man questioned.

"Blue Dragon as everybody else do," came the prompt, efficient answer. 

Tasukin started to circle the Blue Dragon like a hawk, but the boy held his ground. He was amused, actually. Nothing could daunt him. A little arrogant, aren't we?

"My, my, my, you have grown," a catlike smile appeared on Taukin's face. "But won't you let me see your face? Just once? For old times sake?"

The Blue Dragon narrowed his eyes but his hands reached to pull off his mask.

Ranma stared unmoving eyes at Tasukin.

"Thank you. That was all I wanted," came the smooth reply. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somewhere...high, high above the rooftops...in a place too far for Ranma to sense...but close enough to see...

...a girl was struggling to take her breath. 

Her face was white and pale in the moonlight and tears streamed silently down her cheeks. She made no sound, however. Outside she was strong, as inside, she bled. Without saying anything to the man beside her, Akane walked off the roof.

Mousse felt something in him tightened at Akane's pain. She shouldn't be hurt like this. She did not deserve it-

The Amazon suddenly berated himself and steeled his heart. He would destroy Saotome and if he had to hurt Akane, then so be it. He could still see the way his beautiful Shan Pu wilted day after day in the village. He could still hear her cries at night while Cologne held her down to the bed after she took too much of the 'Pain's Pipe', an addictive drug made from a precious plant in the jungle. He could still feel her dead body in his arms after he took her from the Amazon burial. 

No, he would steel himself from the feelings this strange girl named Akane provoked in him.

Mousse smiled.

Down on the ground, Tasukin smiled back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

//ring, ring//

//ring, ring//

//ring, ring//

//ring, ri-//

"Hello?"

"...ugh...eh...um...huh...Uk...Ucchan!..."

"Akane? Akane! What's wrong?"

"It's...It's...It's...Ranma...Ranma...Ranma's the Blue Dragon!"

"What? Akane! What are you saying?"

"I can't...I can't...Ucchan! He's the Blue Dragon! I can't-"

"Akane! Slow down. I- Don't do anything drastic!"

"It's too late for that, Ukyo."

{click}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ranma tapped his foot impatiently as he tried to catch some popcorn in his mouth. Akane told him to meet her at this off-the-corner cafe. Her voice had sounded odd, but Ranma decided it was from all the fuss of joining a clan for the first time. After all, even though he had ordered Link to give her the easiest job possible, it must still be difficult for that tomboy. Here, the pig-tailed boy smiled. That tomboy joining a clan! Ha!

Suddenly, a shadow fell over the table and Ranma looked up to see Akane standing there. Her face was clouded and shadowed and she looked as though she had been crying. Ranma stood up.

"Akane, what's wrong?" he exclaimed. 

The girl just waved a hand and said, "Sit down, Ranma." Not one to take orders but still desperate to find out what was wrong, Ranma did as he was told. Akane seated herself also and looked down at her clenched hands which she had placed together on the table. 

Ranma noticed her knuckles were turning white.

The waitress came over, but Ranma waved her off with a "Later."

"Akane, what's the matter? Is everything okay?" he asked after the woman left. The girl shook slightly (ever so slightly) and her hands clenched each other some more. Finally, she turned to look at him and with fear, he saw that she indeed had been crying. She was crying and her eyes had taken a darker brown.

"I know who you are," she whispered achingly. 

Now, Ranma was really confused.

"What do you mean, 'you know who I am'? I'm Ranma-"

"No," she interrupted, her teeth gritting together. "No! You're not."

Ranma's eyes were starting to get shadowed now too.

Akane's eyes were dark now, darker than they've ever been before.

Her next words sent ice down the pig-tailed boy's back.

"Don't lie to me, Blue Dragon," she whispered. It was so soft that a butterfly couldn't have caught it...but Ranma did. He did and he felt the earth drop from under him. There was no back-tracking. There was no need for useless denials.

"How?" he asked. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't remember how to breathe.

"How do I know?" the blue-haired girl asked with pursed lips.

"How do you know," was his reply.

Akane waited a second before leaning in close to him over the table so that her lips were right next to his ear. Then, she said what shattered his world.

"I'm the Scarlet Phoenix."

Ranma's chair scraped the floor as it was pushed back. It's occupant was shaking his head like a frantic person searching for air. Maybe if he shook his head long enough, he could convince himself he had imagined it all. Maybe he could pretend that he would wake up and all this would be was a horrible nightmare. Maybe.

Maybe not.

Akane's chest hurt, but she did not reach a hand out to help him. Every atom in her body ached to reach out and help her boy...but she couldn't. She just couldn't and that pained her so much. There was no winning with these two.

Maybe she could speak to comfort him since physical contact seemed impossible.

"It's true. Get yourself together."

Maybe not.

Akane was angry. She was very, very angry. She was angry at Mousse, she was angry at Ranma...she was angry at herself, but she wasn't that young girl anymore. She was no longer the impulsive, temperamental teenager she had once been. She was the Scarlet Phoenix and her anger was kept in tight reign.

He looked at her, took a deep breath...then pulled the chair back in.

It made sense to him. In his mind's eye, he was clothing her in the Scarlet Phoenix's garb and it fit. She was who she claimed and he couldn't understand how he didn't realize it before. The world just didn't make sense anymore and he was Alice at the tea party.

"Are you okay now?" Akane asked, her voice softer and her eyes beginning to glitter again.

"Yes," he answered and his eyes glittered also. 

Before the two could say anymore, however...before they could discuss the situation and agree on peace...before anything good could happen...

...Akane's cell phone rang.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What?"

"Akane, get down here. We have trouble."

"Tenchi? What's the problem?"

"I brought the boys down to the dump to arrange business when some of the Blue Dragon's group showed up. None of Rakin's people showed up and now we're going down. Hurry."

"I'll be there. Bye."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane looked up at Ranma and without a word of explanation, got up and headed out of the restaurant. Ranma got up and followed her. The two ran out onto the streets and with feet that were in sync, they made their way to Akane's car. The girl made a few adjustments and in a hidden compartment in the roof of the car was a mask and outfit. Akane put it on and, ignoring Ranma, made her way quickly to the dump behind the gorge.

Ranma grabbed a mask and thin outfit from parts of his clothing (under his shoe, attached to his shirt...) and hurriedly put it on. That done, he caught up with Akane.

The two fighters ran silently side by side. There was nothing to be said. It was all action from here on out. When they made it past the gorge to the dump, the two saw the Blue Dragon's men surrounding the Scarlet Phoenix's battered people. An average person would see no difference between the two sides, but the leaders knew the members of their clan. They knew it like they knew the sky was blue and that the grass was green.

Everyone there looked up at the sight of the leaders.

Everyone that is except two people off in the corner who did not even notice the new arrivals.

Yan, a Blue Dragon man, was leaning over a Scarlet Phoenix girl who was clutching her bleeding stomach. Yan was holding a gun in his hand and was pointing it at the whimpering girl's head. It was a classic battle scene.

To Akane, however, it was different.

The man holding the gun wasn't Yan. He was the blue-tattoo man.

The girl wasn't Awl. She was Tyra.

And this time...Akane wasn't going to hesitate.

The Scarlet Phoenix reached down and pulled the weapon into her hand. She straightened it with two hands and in the next second, a shot rang out. The Scarlet Phoenix never missed. She always got her target. Yan gave a grunt before stumbling backwards and falling down.

Now, it's not as though the Scarlet Phoenix never shot anyone before. It's not even as though she never killed anyone. This time it was different though. This time, Ranma saw her.

The Scarlet Phoenix's hands shook and she returned the weapon back to it's nesting place. She dared not look at Ranma's face. 

"Come on!" she yelled to her crew and helping whoever was injured, they made their way out of the dump. The Blue Dragon's men stayed where they were. After all, they were trained enough to know not to move without a direct order.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It really was quite convenient that Mousse was at her house when Akane stumbled home. She had dismissed the fighters and then quickly made her way home. The Amazon was waiting for her in the living room. When he saw her pale face, Mousse stood up with a shocked expression. He could have won an Oscar if he tried.

"What's the matter?" he asked. The words jumbled around in Akane's brain. People kept asking that. Something was always wrong. Something was always the matter.

"Listen," Mousse said in an understanding and compassionate manner. "I know you don't trust me. You don't have to tell me, I understand. Isn't there somebody you can tell, though? A sensei maybe? An old master that can help you?"

*Of course* Akane thought. She'll talk to Mel. Mel always knew what to do.

Gee, Mousse sure likes to grin a lot, doesn't he?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melpomene knew he had been waiting outside the window before he had actually entered. She stood up the greet him with a Queen's stature. Sandy had been standing to the side fixing her a drink and with the presence of the intruder, yelped and dropped the glass. The Lady's lips curled slightly in distaste. Sandy never had much discipline in her. 

"What are you doing here? Get out or-" Sandy had made her way towards the intruder. Tasukin gave the girl one glance before hitting her with his elbow and knocking her out cold. Sandy never did have much discipline.

"Hello, Tasukin," she greeted coldly, politely, regally. She was the Lady and it showed.

The man smiled as he stepped over Sandy's body and walked towards the Lady.

"Aren't you glad to see me, Ruki-girl?" he asked, his eyes glazing over like steel. 

"The name is The Lady. It would be best for you to remember that," she said. There was nothing left in her for him now. 

Tasukin ignored her.

"I've always liked Dragons, Ruki-girl. They fascinate me with their bite and their passion. They are so tragic. Did you hear about my little Dragon, Ruki? You should. Apparently, listen to this, it's very funny. Apparently, he's in love with your little birdie. Isn't that ironic, Ruki? Now, a lot of thing have been set into motion by yours truly." He was only a few inches away from her now.

"Where it ends however, depends on you." He pluck a strand of her hair and held it in front of her eyes. It was white.

"You're getting old, Ruki-girl. You can't save many more of the city's lost children. Come with me, Ruki. Set it right again. Just you and me like it was intended to be." His voice was charming, soothing, hypnotizing. Maybe she would have relented before...but not now.

There was nothing left in Melpomene for this psycho in front of her.

"The name is The Lady," she said slowly and surely. 

Tasukin's eyes glittered as a broken smile came across his face.

"You did it. Not me," he said before pulling out the gun.

She was never quite as fast as him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane knocked impatiently on the hotel door. Her feet moved up and down in agitation. *Hurry, Mel* she thought. It was though she was a kid again and she needed to ask Mel how to hold the knife exactly right. At the time, that had seemed to be the most important decision of her life and Mel had helped her. Odd, the turns that life can take.

Akane rapped on the oor again, this time more hard. The wood shook slightly, but no sound came from behind the door. Where was Mel? She had to be here. She just had to be.

Suddenly, Akane's blood ran cold as ice poured through them. Her instincts, the same instincts that had saved her so many times before, knew...just *knew* that something was very wrong. The blue-haired girl gave a kick to the door so strong that it knocked the thing down. In a hurried fashion, she ran into the room and the sight t hat greeted her made the girl think she had died.

Mel laid on a table covered in blood. Her face was covered with blood, her chest was covered with blood, her legs were covered in blood. The Scarlet Phoenix ran over and grabbed the woman, clutching her to her chest. The Lady laid cold and the beat of life had departed her. Bullet holes covered her chest. She had been shot many, many times.

Akane looked down at the blood-stained note on her Lady's forehead.

_And eye for an eye and a tooth or a tooth. You kill one of mine, I kill one of yours. You failed me, Akane and I can never forgive you. The war is on.- Blue Dragon_

The Scarlet Phoenix wanted to scream. She wanted to shout and to tear out her heart so that it no longer bled and pained her.

This was not the time for that though. If there was one thing that Mel taught her, it was to always keep her calm and think with her head...no matter how much pain she was in. She would cry her heart out after the war was over. 

Ranma...Ranma...Ranma...

How could he? How could he do something so horrible? Then again...she guessed he wasn't her Ranma anymore. In the years in the city...he had became something else. He had became the Blue Dragon, her worst enemy. 

The ruthless killer.

Akane felt empty inside...empty except all but one aching, starving hole that screamed for victory and vengeance. That aching hole inside of her that demanded triumph over the other clan. The hole that demanded she protect her own from destruction. The strongest survive, after all.

"Akane...?" the male Amazon walked over to her hesitantly. She did not see the gleam of happiness in his eyes. 

The Scarlet Phoenix was back in control.

"See that girl over there? She's still alive. Her name's Sandy. Take her to the hospital, but before you do that, get me the phone."

"Who are you going to call?" Mousse questioned.

"This Lady right here has a very large clan and they all love her very much. We're going to need a lot of back up if we're going to win this war. After you bring Sandy to the hospital, come back. I have a message for you to send."

There was no other emotion in Akane. It was scary, really. All she had filling her was anger... anger and hatred. The same anger and hatred that made the Scarlet Phoenix undefeatable. The same anger and hatred that made her inhuman. The same anger and hatred that demanded the old rule be held true.

You pay for a life in blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

//ring, ring//

//ring, ring//

//ring, ri-//

"Hello?"

"Ucchan?"

"Akane? You haven't called me in so long. Are you okay? What happened? Were you telling me the truth before? Is Ranma really the Blue Dragon-?"

"Yes, yes. It's all true. I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, Ucchan. Ranma is the Blue Dragon and he declared war-"

"What? Akane, slow down, I- does he know you're the Scarlet Phoenix."

"Yes, he knows and he's declared war on me. He killed Mel, Ucchan."

"What?!"

"He killed Mel. He went up to her room and killed her in cold blood. He's not Ranma, anymore, Ukyo. He's the Blue Dragon now and the war is on. I sent Mousse to send him a message."

"Akane, what are you-"

"I have to go, Ucchan. There are things to be done. Bye."

{click} 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mu Tsu did as he was told. He brought Akane's fighters to the warehouse that the Blue Dragon's men were staying at. Even on the streets, there was an unspoken code of fair fighting. What Mousse with Akane's fighters was nothing short of slaughter. He came in there and destroyed everybody. So many, many died and they did not even had a chance. All the while, there was the most horrible smile on the former Amazon's face. Nobody noticed the man in blue standing over the building with a look of hatred on his face. When Ranma heard the news, he was shocked. He could not deal with it. Death came...but not in such great numbers. His clan was his soul, his heart, his everything. It was an extension of who he was. More horrible yet was the news of the one that had caused the damage.

Nobody could forget what Mousse announced as he gathered up the Scarlet Phoenix's fighters and left.

"This is the first warning from the Scarlet Phoenix! This can only end with the Blue Dragon's death! Make sure you give him the message."

There was only one survivor and he had been the messenger. The Blue Dragon didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. One death yes...but mass murder?

Then came Tasukin's voice in Ranma's ear.

"She's not Akane, anymore. You grew up and so did she. She's the Scarlet Phoenix now...and she's out to destroy your clan. Would you allow that to happen, Ranma? All those people counting on you for their existence. Would you fail your clan for one murderer? She is nothing but a shell now. Who she once was is gone. A shell...will you fail your clan for a shell? She's dead...dead...and if she isn't...she should be." Ryoga had been on Ranma's other side, trying to convince him to let it all stop...but his words were for naught.

The clan was Ranma's heart, his soul and his life. He would not fail them.

That night, cries of pain and torture came from the Blue Dragon's office. It was the sound of mourning. He was mourning the dead girl that he lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, a package arrived for Akane Vardisi. Nobody saw who brought it, but it was found on the front steps of her mansion. 

Inside was a long, limp pig-tail, newly cut and tied at both ends.

On it was a piece of paper that read:

__

In Remembrance of Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What...oh what...had become of Nerima's children?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Notes: I was reading this over to make sure I don't mess up anything and Red Death's right on one point (one!), the songs are freakin' annoying. They're gone. Don't know what I was thinkin', folks. After this, two more chapters and the SP, BD is done. 


	13. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Chapter 12, The Invisible Line

Author's Notes: How long has it been? I've been _really _busy, folks, or else I would have updated all of my stories. (well, let's not lie, most of them). To anyone who cares, listen to Ani Difranco and read the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy by Philip Pulman. You won't regret it. After this comes the last chapter to this short story. Hoped it was a good ride for ya'll too, 'cause I sure had fun.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The small room was full of shadows. Even the man propped on the wooden chair with his feet on the metal desk was a shadow. The man's dark-haired head lay tilted over the top of the chair. He breathed in and let out a breath that was full of air and regret. In the doorway, a figure appears. This figure is not a shadow. He has spent the same number of years among the shadows as the one by the desk and yet the shadows has not consumed him. He was still warm. How very rare.

The figure slowly walks towards the desks. He stares at the stranger's face behind the mask. He looks at the short hair and the closed eyes. He wonders how many times a person is allowed to die before they actually get to rest.

"Still here, Ryoga?" the shadow asks.

The man brushed the question aside. It was irrelevant at the moment.

"I thought about it. You can still stop this. It's isn't too late for you...or for her," Ryoga pleaded.

"But it is too late, Ryoga," the shadow-man said as he lowered his feet, opened his eyes and sat up. The blue-dragon mask on his face seemed to come alive. "It's too late for West and Quaren and Tami and-"

"I wasn't talking about them!"

"Well, I am!" the Blue Dragon shouted as he stood up. "Someone needs to remember them! Someone needs to keep their souls at rest inside their graves. If I don't do it, who will?"

Ryoga's eyes glittered. He was tough...but he there was a reason he never became clan leader.

"Then what? Huh? You kill Akane and then what? Somebody will avenge her and kill you and then someone will avenge you and it doesn't end. Do you want a massacre?" 

The Blue Dragon tightened his jaw and pushed past.

"You wouldn't under-"

Ryoga grabbed the Blue Dragon and moved him so that they were face to face.

"Do you? Those kids out there look at you as though you're their sun and their moon. You saved them and they would listen to you even if you told them you were going to kill death itself. Do you want those kids to die, Ranma? Do you?!" Ryoga was screaming now.

"Let me go. Ranma is dead."

The words were cold. They were cold because they came from a shadow. Ryoga let his hands go as though he was afraid if he held on any longer, he too would become a shadow. Disgust rose in his throat.

How soon we forget the person we once were.

"You're really serious about this, aren't you? You really plan to kill Akane...Akane..." Ryoga stammered as he backed away. His hands moved around aimlessly, searching for something they could feel. They were searching for something real.

In the end, Ryoga's hands just fell to their sides.

"Akane was a dream, Ryoga. A nice dream, but a dream, nonetheless," Ranma, or the man that had once been the boy named Ranma, said. His voice was that of a parent telling them the truth about reality to a child. His voice was stern and it was strong.

Ryoga stopped. He stood straight and his eyes squinted slightly.

Now, it was his turn.

"Akane's a real person, Ranma. She's a living, breathing person with sisters and friends. She's real, Ranma. Her sister's name is Kasumi. Her nieces and nephews are-"

Ranma's face scrunched up, whether in pain or anger Ryoga couldn't tell, and with a push, Ryoga slammed against the wall. 

"Shut up! She's not real!" and with that, Ranma walked out.

Ryoga stared in shock at his body against the wall.

_He's gone crazy_, Ryoga thought. _And he's going to bring them all down with him_. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kasumi moved swiftly through the hotel room, grabbing toys from the floor and clothes from the closet. Tears streamed like two rivers down her clear cheeks and though she continually moved her hands to wipe them away, her cheeks were never dry. It was almost worth laughing at. This wasn't like her at all. Kasumi had sent Tofu to take the children to one last trip around the city while she packed. She did not like deceiving her kids but they would not be happy if they found out that they were leaving without saying good-bye to their Aunt Akane.

A brief knock on the door stopped the light-haired woman momentarily.

"Yes?" she asked, trying to clear her voice.

"The manager told me to ask you, Tendo-san, if you would want anything before you leave," a young male voice said. 

"Thank-thank you. No-um...actually, can you get me some toys from the gift shop?" Kasumi asked.

"Of course, Tendo-san," was the reply.

"Thank you."

Kasumi wiped another hand across her face. It smudged and the smudge seemed to press down deep into her soul. She hated being _unclean_ It always made her feel as though she was losing the iron control she had over her life. Sighing, the woman dropped the clothes back onto the bed and walked over to the hotel mirror. As she started to place a wet napkin on her face, a knock was heard. 

"Coming, and thank you so much, -" 

The door opened. Kasumi stared blankly at the familiar figure in the doorway. The figure burst into hiccupping sobs.

"I-I'm suh-sorry," the figure said. It was simple and it was sincere.

Kasumi opened her arms and hugged the other woman tight.

That's what sisters do for each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sandy."

The girl turned around, brushing her knuckles over her nose and sniffing.

"What?" she demanded. She squinted slightly before her eyes widened ins shock and puzzlement.

"Link?" she asked. Was it really him? What was he doing here?

"Yeah," the boy confirmed before putting his hands into his pockets. He looked slightly uncomfortable.

Sandy looked around.

"What-? Why are you here?"

Link looked up.

"I heard about the Lady. Decided to come over and help, you know. Pay my old debts-"

Sandy interrupted him. The shock was gone now and with it's departure came realization.

"Don't you work for the Blue Dragon?" she interrogated. She was Mel's daughter, after all.

"I used to," Link answered nonchalantly. "I don't anymore. I know where my loyalties lie, Sandy, and my debt to the Lady is greater than my life can pay. I will seek vengeance on the Blue Dragon with or without your help-"

"Okay!" Sandy said before he could continue. She gave him a helpless look. He smiled. It was a deal.

"Who are we working under?" Link suddenly said, getting down to business.

"You remember the Scarlet Phoenix?" 

"Yeah."

"That's who."

Link walked closer and said for conversation's sake, "I saw Mel's favorite the other day. Fe-fe. Is she going to help us?"

Sandy looked pointedly at Link. She was going to enjoy telling him this.

"What are you talking about?" she said nonchalantly. "Fe-fe is the Scarlet Phoenix."

You think people would stop becoming shocked at this tiny little fact by now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, gather the crew and bring them over to-"

The Scarlet Phoenix stopped. She and Fliye turned to look at the girl in the doorway. 

"I must be going now," Fliye said as she ducked her head and exited.

"Good-bye and thank you," Akane called after her. Ukyo's eyes narrowed and her brows creased. She entered the room slowly.

"Was that Fliye, Akane?" she asked.

"Don't question my methods, Ukyo," Akane said briskly as she sat down at her desk and shuffled some papers around.

"Sugar, you're not really planning a war against Ranma, are you? It's Ranma, for goodness sakes!" 

Akane looked up, her eyes blank.

"The Blue Dragon killed Mel, Ukyo. He killed Mel and he declared war."

"Akane..."

A long time ago, before Ukyo had known Akane, before she had _really_ known her, she had seen Akane as just another stranger. It was the oddness that came with an acquaintance. You knew them, but you really didn't know them at all. Ukyo was slowly beginning to feel that way again.

She used to know how to reach Akane. She used to know what made her laugh and made her cry. Now, she did not know what to say at all.

"Akane...please..." she started, then stopped. A dull pain started in Ukyo's head. She was getting too old for this. She was getting too old for this game. The world suddenly seemed to have dumped all it's weight on her.

"I have to go!" she said and ran out of the room, clutching her mouth. 

Akane didn't notice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A phone rang somewhere.

Somewhere, a girl picked it up.

Somewhere, someone said, "Hello."

Somewhere else, someone else said, "Can you please meet me at my hotel room? There is something I need to talk to you about."

Somewhere someone sighed but agreed.

Somewhere, someone was getting ready to make the biggest decision of their life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane stepped out of the elevator and slowly walked to the room door. She checked her watch in agitation before straightening her clothes.

_Only for you, Kasumi,_ she thought wryly and gave a brief knock.

The door flew open as though the person on the other side had been waiting for this their entire life.

Doors open all the time and sometimes, whatever is on the other side will hurt us very much. It is up to us whether we will walk through the door or close it. 

Akane took one look at the person on the other end of the doorway.

She blinked.

She turned around and walked away.

"Akane!" the woman yelled and chased after her sister. Nabiki grabbed her arm before she could enter the elevator. Akane shrugged off the hand and without acknowledging her sister, walked towards the stairs.

"You can't just walk away!" Nabiki shouted.

Akane kept on walking.

Nabiki ran and stood in front of the door leading to the stairs.

"You'll have to face me sometime..." Nabiki said but her voice trailed off as she finally saw Akane's face. It was lined with tears.

"I hate you..." the younger Tendo whispered. Then, her eyes flashed and her anger spilled out. Her voice remained level and civil, however.

"I hate you. You can't possibly know how much I do. I only hate two people in my entire lifetime and you are one of them. I don't want to have anything to do with you. In fact, I would prefer it if you went back to whatever hole you crawled from and left me and my sister alone. We'll just pretend this never happened," Akane said.

Nabiki didn't think she could speak over the pain, but somehow she managed.

"What happened to you?" she questioned.

Akane smiled.

"I grew up, Nabiki, courtesy of you," Akane said. Now, Nabiki was angry.

"Oh no! Don't you dare put this on me!"

"Oh, and what am I supposed to do? Thank you? Gee, thanks for abandoning everybody when they needed you most."

"I know I wasn't right. I know it was horrible for me to leave. But let's get one thing clear. It is _not_ my fault you turned out the way you did. I was just a kid too, Akane! I was scared-"

"So were we but we didn't leave!"

"Oh, and if I had stayed, what then? _I_ would have ended up being the one to go to the city. You aren't angry at me for leaving, little sister. You're angry at me because I wasn't there to make the sacrifice. We both know it couldn't have been Kasumi, she's made enough sacrifices. When it came down to it, it was either you or me and _I_ was smart enough to save my hide-"

The sound of the slap echoed down the hallway.

"Hit a little too close to home, did I?" Nabiki said.

"You were a coward, Nabiki. Whatever else the situation may have been, it still doesn't change the fact that you were a coward."

With that, Akane pushed past her and left. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside, Akane bumped into someone.

"Oh. Akane!" Kasumi said brightly. "Did you talk to Nabiki?"

"I don't ever want to hear her name again, Kasumi," the woman said vehemently and started to walk away. Kasumi's brow creased.

"You can't go on like this, Akane," she said. Akane stopped.

"I know all about you and Ranma. You both are going to end up killing each other and taking half of this city with you. Don't let that happen. I know you're better than that. Tofu, the children and I will be heading back to Nerima with Nabiki. Come back with us, Akane. You did your job. You kept us alive. Now, just let it go," the older sister said.

Akane turned around and ran to hug her sister tight. She was sobbing.

"I want to, Kasumi. I really do...but I can't," she sighed achingly.

The ground fell beneath Kasumi's feet but she continued to stand strong.

"It's okay. It's okay. We all love you, Akane. Just remember that and do what you feel is right..."

Akane let her sister go, sniffed, smiled and walked away.

Kasumi knew in her heart that was the last time she would be seeing her little tomboy of a sister.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ukyo had been wandering through the Blue Park when the sound of sirens caught her ear. Like a martial artist knows when the next move was going to hit, she knew something was wrong. The girl ran till she reached the scene. Ukyo had seen a great many number of things in her life and she thought nothing could break her heart again, but this did. 

The entire street was painted with blood. People crowded around the edges to see. There were bodies being carted away and bodies still lying there. This was organized chaos in the purest sense. Rushing over, Nabiki pushed past the police to Tenchi who was getting his arm bandaged.

"Why are you here?" she screeched.

"The Scarlet Phoenix told me to keep watch here with the others. Some of the Blue Dragon's people came by and-and-" the boy started to cough violently.

Ukyo couldn't believe what she was hearing.

_She sent you out here to die_, she thought. _She sent you out here to die._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somewhere, a man was saying something to a Blue Dragon.

Somewhere the Blue Dragon rose in his fury and said, "Let her have what she wants."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Akane ran into the apartment building. In her joy, she did not care for anything else but spreading the news. The Scarlet Phoenix stopped short when she saw the bustling girl packing.

"What are you doing?"

Ukyo looked up briefly before moving back in horror. Finally, she contained herself and started towards her packing again.

"Packing. I'm leaving. I don't want this anymore," she declared.

"I-"

The brown-haired girl whirled around, her eyes glistening, her cheeks blooming.

"You sent them out there to die! How could you do that? You put them straight into the Blue Dragon's territory just so you could attack his West office. You knew they were going to die! How could you? Tenchi...they were people!" she shouted. Never in her life had Ukyo been this furious.

Akane gulped.

"Sacrifices have to be made in this business, Ucchan. You know that-" Akane started bt was cut off.

"_We_ make the sacrifices, Akane! Not them! They were our family. You practically gave your children up for slaughter. I...I can't deal with this." 

Akane waved the note.

"Not now, Ucchan. We're so close to victory. The Blue Dragon sent the note of official challenge. With our troops and Sandy's, we can't lose-"

Ukyo groaned.

"Akane, listen to yourself! I don't care about your damn victory anymore. I just want this killing to stop! What happens if you do win, huh? What then! I'm leaving, I know Kasumi's leaving and you're going to kill the only one you ever really loved," here Akane's face closed off.

"I thought you would understand," she said.

"Oh, but I do," Ukyo spat out bitterly before closing her suitcase and exiting the room. "And it scared the hell out of me. Goodbye, Akane. Don't call me when the call of the children at night keep you up." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun shone off the clean deck of the ship. All around her was water and as far as the girl could see, there was nothing but ocean. The breeze lifted her light brown hair and carried it. It carried her heartbreak with it. Something to her left caught the girl's eye. She turned there and pulled her sunglasses down. 

She smiled.

"Hey, pig-boy, why are you here?" she called.

The figure turned around slightly in surprise before seeing her.

"Trying to escape my life," he told her.

"Me too," she said. "Want to keep me company?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	14. Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Scarlet Phoenix, Blue Dragon

Chapter 13, Is This The End?

Author's Notes: I wrote this way before I should have. Around the ninth chapter I think. Sort of weird, huh? It all ends in the 13th chapter. That can't be good. Well, it certainly has been a long and interesting ride and I managed to get out with my share of scratches. My writing certainly have improved since the first chapter (wonder who could tell) and I hope it will continue to becomes better. Well, do, as a final gesture for the ending of this story, e-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com and tell me what you think.

Disclaimers: Ranma 1/2 and all its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

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Hundreds of people stood in the dark alleyway like warriors ready to defend their country and kill the invader...and in a way it was like that. The lights were dim and somewhere far off water dripped slowly, achingly in torture. The woman now and forever known as the Scarlet Phoenix turned her eyes to stare at those around her. To her left stood Mousse, all decked out in his infamous outfit of black and white. His dark black eyes were hard, cold...dead. He didn't see her stare at him...too concentrated was he on the opponent. Mousse...why was he here? The one that was supposed to be here was Ukyo...her best friend...her sister...Ucchan was supposed to be here when the victory was hers. Where was Ukyo now?

Gone.

Just like everyone that had mattered in her life. The ones that had loved her and stood by her through the darkest moments in her life. They weren't here. 

A tear made it's way down Akane's smooth cheek.

No one saw it but Ranma.

Everyone tensed as they saw the Scarlet Phoenix slowly reach into her red coat and pull out a black weapon. Without taking his eyes off his opponent, the Blue Dragon did the same. The two pointed the gun at the other...

...straight at where the heart was.

"This is the end..." Akane said softly.

"...the end..." Ranma echoed.

Suddenly, Akane's face hardened.

Click.

Bang!

A roar and then shouts. 

Akane felt fire burn into her left shoulder and with a small smile she fell backwards. Before she hit the floor she felt warm arms wrap around her tightly. Through the already heavy eyelids, she saw Ranma's dark eyes and pale face. His eyes were searching her own. Searching and begging.

Around her she heard buzzing and rustling. She heard screaming and all the screams were the same.

"...the bullet was a blank..."

"...why didn't it hit him..."

"...it was a blank..."

"...a blank..."

"...why did she shoot a blank!..."

"...look! There are no bullets..."

Ranma was shaking her now. He was shaking her and crying. She didn't think she ever saw him cry like this before. They were throw-up sobs. With every sob, he threw up a part of his soul. He's pouring his soul into me, was her hazy thought. 

"Don't...don't go...Akane...please...please...I'm sorry...please..."

He was begging her between sobs. Just like a child, came the irrational thought.

"Ranma..." she said and touched his dark hair to the tips. It was so short now. The pigtail was gone.

Her words calmed him and his sobs came slower and quieter until they were practically nonexistent. 

He inquired, "Why, Akane?"

Her eyes squinted so that his face would become clearer. Everything was so cold. Every part of her body had gotten so cold. All except for the place where the bullet hit. 

"You pay for a life in blood...I paid with mine..." she stated slowly. It was hard getting the words out for more reasons then one. 

"Besides," she said with a little smile. "I'm not the only one that relented. You shot me in the shoulder. Now, I know that wasn't a miss. If I had actually shot you..."

Now, Ranma smiled a little too.

"You'll live, Akane. I had to make sure you'd live."

Her eyes started to droop now.

Her last thought was...

..._Nabiki was right...me and Ranma *are* idiots..._

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Mousse stood in silence, his eyes glued to the crying boy clutching Akane. His face was pale and he was shaken. He didn't think he could breathe. Her bullet was a blank. HER BULLET WAS A BLANK! Why? Why did she do that? What in the world could have possessed the strong woman he's known all these days to turn so weak?

Finally, the answer came to Mousse but he fought it. He fought it until the truth prevailed. He fought it until Ranma's head moved slightly and he saw the smile on Akane's face. 

There was no denying the truth.

She loved him.

And even despite everything that Ranma did to her and her clan, she was still willing to die to wash away all his wrongdoings. He knew Akane wasn't being a good person. She wouldn't have given up everything for anyone else but Ranma.

Mousse's heart constricted and he clutched his chest as he fell onto his knees.

Even on her deathbed, Shampoo had still been cursing him and calling for her airen.

Mousse's heart gave another tight squeeze and he moaned in pain as tears streaked down his face.

"Damn you Saotome..." he whispered. "Why do you always have to win?"

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Tasukin watched the confusion and panic below him in detachment. His face was impassive and unreadable. His eyes a blank. The carnage meant nothing to him, as did the outcome. He couldn't care less about any of them. He didn't know why he had taken the little dragon in years before. It's not as if he cared for the boy. It wasn't as though he wanted to leave a legacy of any kind. Most likely because he had seen so much good in the boy and the maliciousness in him couldn't help but take pleasure in corrupting that innocent heroism.

In the end, even through his teachings, that same goodness saved the boy. 

The girl's development through this, however, was different and the way she acted couldn't have shocked Tasukin more. Who knew she had that kind of rare courage in her? 

Cold steel touched the back of Tasukin's neck and a click was heard.

Tasukin smiled.

His first smile since Melpomene's death.

"Ruki-girl...Ruki-girl...my my Ruki-girl..." he sang softly before a roar filled his ears and everything was gone.

Tasukin's dead body slumped over as blood poured out.

"For you, mom," the girl whispered before pocketing the gun.

Sandy walked off the roof.

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Six years. My goodness...six years...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunlight surrounded the outside cafe. It w as a beautiful day with chirping birds and clear, blue sky. On one of the umbrella-table seats sat a scowling young man with thick, dark hair. His clothing was odd and every now and then somebody would give him a second glance. Usually, the person was female. The scowling guy looked at the watch on the wall of the open cafe before two smooth hands covered his eyes. 

"Guess who?" a laughing female voice asked. 

The guy continued to scowl as he turned around.

"What took you so long?" he demanded.

"I had stuff to do. I'm here now."

The hands dropped from his eyes and the female, which the voice belonged to, sat in the chair opposite his. She had long, brown hair tied with a white bow and wore a lined, black and white, skirt suit that came from Paris. She placed some shopping bags on the floor next to her feet and shot a brilliant smile Ryoga's way.

He couldn't help the returning smile.

"What do you have in those bags?" he questioned quizzically. Ukyo's smile got wider. She reached at a bag near her feet and fumbling through it awhile, pulled something out. 

"Close your eyes," she told the boy. Grumbling, Ryoga did so. Ukyo stood up and walked behind him. 

Ryoga felt something wrap around his head and hair before hearing Ukyo say, "Open them now."

He knew what she had got him before his hand reached up and touched it. It was a black and yellow bandanna. Tears came to his eyes.

His friend's beautiful face appeared before his own, her brown eyes dazzling. 

"I found it at this old store behind Miritzi's. I knew it was perfect the moment I touched it. What do you think?" she wanted to know.

Ryoga gave a slight gasp before reaching out and squeezing her close to his chest.

"Thanks, Ucchan," he rasped.

Ukyo grinned some more.

They weren't lovers yet but they were close friends and becoming closer every day. 

Unlike Ranma and Akane, they knew to live life in the present.

Unlike Ranma and Akane, they had time.

Yes, they could go about this at their own pace.

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The woman that walked down the street looked like she could have owned the district of Nerima. Her clothes were immaculate, her hair was perfect and her face was chiseled perfectly. She walked with a straight back and high head as though she knew within her that she was worth every cent in the world. Somehow, those that watched her felt she was right. 

What this woman of such high standards was doing in Nerima and that street in particular was still a matter of questioning. Maybe she was here to buy out all of the land and build a shopping plaza. Maybe she wanted to inspect the area for a future home site. Maybe she was-

All thoughts stopped when they saw her turn and enter one home without knocking.

What was she doing in Dr. Tofu's house?

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Nabiki walked straight into the kitchen where she knew Kasumi would be with the kids. The beautiful mother hummed a soft tune as she chopped some vegetables by the counter. The little boy turned his head from the picture he was currently coloring on the kitchen table to smile at his aunt.

"Hi, Auntie 'biki," he yelled.

"Hey kid," Nabiki laughed as she ruffled his hair.

"Hello Nabiki," Kasumi greeted without turning her back to the corner. Nabiki walked over and stood by her sister.

"Hi Kasumi. What are you doing?" she asked. Kasumi's hand never stopped kneading the dough.

"Just making some bread," Kasumi answered.

"Oh," murmured Nabiki. She turned around and placed her elbows on the counter. She watched Kasumi's kids.

"Do you think they're together?" she whispered. It was a stray thought, something that was always pounding softly in her mind.

Kasumi's hands stopped for one split second before continuing at their previous task.

"Who, Nabiki?" she questioned innocently.

"You know who, Kasumi," she said bluntly, slightly annoyed that her sister knew but still asked her.

Kasumi thought about this. She was one of the rare ones who thought carefully before they spoke.

"I believe that...wherever they are...they are there together. Yes, that's what I believe," she said.

Nabiki thought about this for a second before giving her own input.

"I don't," she stated. This seemed to jolt the other sister somewhat and had her cease working. She turned around with a slight hint of puzzlement on her face.

"Why not?"

"Because," Nabiki answered, "they would not be able to stand being with each other. No matter how much they love each other, they hate each other all the more. They remind each other of all their bad deeds-"

"I think you're wrong, Nabiki," Kasumi interrupted. "I think they're stronger than that. I don't think those two would run away from anything."

Nabiki turned around and looked forward again. Kasumi went back to her kneading. 

"Yeah," she said finally. "I think you're right. Certainly gives you hope for the world, doesn't it? I mean, if _those_ two could get along." She gave a slight laugh. That one laugh got bigger and then she couldn't stop. Kasumi smiled and joined in.

Kasumi's son looked up at them oddly before leaving the room. The sun slanted into the clean kitchen with the two laughing sisters. Nabiki held onto Kasumi's arm so she could stay upright. 

Sometimes you just need to laugh.

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The jail cell was dank. It was dark and it was dirty. There was a repugnant odor in the air. Somewhere, someone was screaming down the hall. It didn't matter though. It was nighttime and most of the prison birds were asleep. Not all of them.

In his cell, Mousse stared at the bottom of the top bunk. 

"Hey Moussey."

Apparently, his cellmate wasn't asleep either. 

"Isn't today someone's anniversary?"

Mousse refused to answer.

"Was it your-no. Could it be the-no. Oh wait! I know! It's the day your girlfriend dies, right?"

Mousse's hands clutched at the thin mattress beneath him.

"Oh yeah. That's right. Only she wasn't your girlfriend, was she?"

The fingernails on Mousse's hands started to tear off and blood dripped onto the mattress.

"Yeah. She didn't even care about you. She hated you, didn't she? Yeah. Everybody knows. Ha-ha. Yeah. Everybody knows what a whore she-"

The man was dragged out of his bunk and his head was slammed into the brick wall. He laughed as it connected again and again. He stopped laughing after awhile. Mousse didn't stop slamming the man's head though.

He didn't stop until the authorities came and pressed something into his arm. That was three men already.

He would be moved into the mental jail ward where he would live the rest of his days in solitude.

He would live there as visions of a purple-haired Amazon haunted him until his dying day.

We all can't have happy endings.

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Ruki was a happy child. She had a mother and father who loved and adored her. Very rarely was she ever unhappy. The only times she were ever unhappy was when she saw mommy cry and mommy only cried on this day. Though years before she would fully realize the significance of this day, she knew it was not a good day. It made her mother cry and her father sad. She did not like this day at all. The car stopped and her father turned off the engine. He sat there waiting for awhile, staring at the window though he looked as though he was staring at nothing at all.

"Let's go," he finally said before he opened the door on his side. Ruki and her mommy followed. They walked out of the parking lot and into the cemetery. Ruki's mommy took one of her small hands and her father took the other. Ruki swung from their arms as the three walked along. She looked up to see the sunlight bounce off her mommy's sunglasses. 

Finally, they arrived at the right grave. The grave was clean from moss of weeds because he mother cleaned it every year. 

At five, Ruki already knew how to read and she shivered at reading her own name on the tombstone.

"Here, honey," Ruki's mommy said as she handed Ruki a small flower and gave her a tiny push.

Ruki walked up slowly to the grave and placed the flower beside the tombstone. She turned around to look at her parents.

"Go on and play, Ruki," her father said. "Mommy has to talk to grandma."

Ruki looked at her mother who was taking off her sunglasses and bending down before turning around and walking off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ow!" 

Ruki gave a yelp and moved a few feet backwards as the boy scrambled up. She had kicked him while she was walking along. Mommy had always told her to watch where she was going.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed before rushing forward to look at the red scratch on the boy's stomach.

He pushed her away.

He considered her a second to see if she was sincere before nodding.

"It's alright," he said finally. "I shouldn't have been laying there." 

The boy looked at her closer before asking, "What's your name?"

"Ruki," she answered cheerfully. 

The boy's face split into a grin.

"Ruki-girl," he laughed. Ruki smiled too.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Tasukin," he answered as he sat down and leaned against a tree. It provided shade from the sun.

Ruki sat down beside him.

"That's odd," she commented in the way children do.

Tasukin shrugged before explaining, "My mom and dad say it's to remind them."

"Remind them of what?"

"I don't know. Just to remind them, I guess," he answered.

"Well, I'm named after my grandmother," Ruki offered.

"Really?" Tasukin chuckled.

"Yep. That's why I'm here. We come here every...uh...every year, I think to visit her," she told him.

"That's weird," the boy said.

"Why?" 

"Because me and my mom and my dad come here every year too. We visit my grandpa. I never see you."

Ruki shrugged.

"Well, I was always here. I guess you just missed me. Oh, guess what?" she exclaimed as though they were old friends.

"What?" he yelled back excitedly as though they were. 

"I'm getting a bunny today. I saw it in the pet shop the other day. Nobody wanted it because it's leg was broke but I wanted it! So, me and mommy are going back to get it today," she informed him dreamily.

Tasukin didn't understand.

"Why would you want a bunny with a broken leg?" he asked her.

"So, I could save it," he told him simply.

Something happened then. A click. A life. Then, it was gone.

Tasukin shook his head.

"Tasi!" a voice yelled out. Tasukin jumped up.

"That's my mom. I can tell by her yell. I have to go. Will you be here next time?" he asked her urgently.

"I...I think so," she answered, unsure.

"Promise?" he said, extending his pinky.

"Yeah!" she yelled, jumping up and hooking her pinky with his. They smiled at each other for a moment before another, "Tasi! Where are you?" broke through.

"Bye!" he yelled back at her as he raced off.

"Bye," she whispered.

She saw him run off to a couple. Once he reached them, the man grabbed Tasukin and placed him on his shoulder. It was odd. Ruki didn't think that grown ups wore pigtails. Tasukin's mom was pretty, but there was something familiar about her. A picture somewhere. A picture that mommy hid in her drawers. A picture with mommy and daddy and grandma and a lot of people, but Ruki had remembered this woman. She had remembered this woman because she was the only one that stood right next to grandma. Even mommy didn't stand right next to grandma in the picture.

She hadn't understood then but she understood now. There was something about the woman that Ruki loved, something that was very similar to her own.

"Ruki!"

"Coming mommy!" she yelled before racing back to her mother.

Her mother grabbed her hand and put her sunglasses back on.

They walked to the car.

"Do you know what you're going to name your bunny, sweetheart?" Ruki's mommy asked her in the car.

"Yeah!" she yelled.

"What?" her father asked pleasantly.

"Fe-fe," she answered.

The car jerked to a stop and her parents stared at each other with ashen faces.

"What did you say?" her father asked.

"Fe-fe," she replied.

"Why...why that name?" her mother cried.

"Because..." she answered. Her parents stared at each other for awhile before deciding it was just a coincidence. They drove on.

Ruki stared out the window.

She didn't tell her parents but deep inside her, so deep even she didn't know, she knew something.

She knew that her baby phoenix had finally settled.

The End.

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Author's Notes: Well, that was certainly a hack of a ride, wasn't it? Who thought Sandy was gonna kill Tasukin raise your hand. Stop lying! :) E-mail me at silverflame_maiden@hotmail.com and tell me what you think.


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